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Mystery #4: Service

It’s not like Christians don’t know that we are biblically obliged to participate in acts of service. We know! 

But let’s be brutally candid with each other—serving others is messy! It takes a lot of time. And sometimes people smell. And then, worst of all are the ones who don’t even show gratitude for what we did for them! Plus, there are experts who do Christian service for a living, and they can do a much better job than we ever could. 

All of that is 100% true. It’s much easier to farm out the work of service to a professional charity or ministry organization than to get our hands dirty. But as we continue exploring these Biblical mysteries, the louder we hear Jesus’s call and personal example to serve others. Henri Nouwen, in The Selfless Way of Christ, puts it this way:

“It’s not enough to try and imitate Christ as much as possible; it is not enough to be inspired by the words and actions of Jesus Christ. No, the spiritual life presents us with a far more radical demand: to be living Christs here and how, in time and history. We will never know our true vocation in life unless we are willing to grapple with the radical claim the gospel places on us. . . . Regardless of the particular shape we give to our lives, Jesus’ call to discipleship is primal, all-encompassing, all-inclusive, demanding a total commitment. One cannot be a little bit for Christ, give him some attention or make him one of many concerns.” 

This quote by Henri Nouwen has explosive implications. When Jesus says in Matthew 20:28 that “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,” He means that when we help someone, we’re actually taking on the character of Christ. Suddenly, “service” isn’t what it looks like on the outside at all! 

So the teenager helping in the church nursery, the dad coaching in a local youth sports league, the recovering alcoholic providing loving guidance for someone struggling with drugs—they are becoming living examples of Christ through service. The janitor cleaning the church, the woman bringing lunch and friendship to a shut-in elderly couple, and the usher who anonymously sets up the chairs in the prayer room are becoming more like Jesus with every deed.

And history has proven time and again, service not only helps us but also transforms entire cultures. The early Christians attracted the attention of the Romans by racing to the heart of places hit by the plague when well-to-do Romans were racing in the other direction. Throughout history Christians have built leper colonies, hospitals, and schools in the most challenging places and with people of other religious and cultural beliefs. 

Self-centered, self-absorbed Christians are capable of such world-changing actions only when they are willing to surrender, willing to follow the commands of Scripture, willing to submit to authority, and willing to serve others. Then, and only then, do we find ourselves mysteriously transformed into the image of Jesus.

PRAYER: God, those who don’t sit and write aren’t writers. One can’t be a golfer if one never swings a club. And I can’t become like You unless I’m willing to roll up my sleeves and serve others. Lord, You know better than anyone that my reluctance to volunteer is because I’ve been too busy serving myself. Break this in me. I don’t want to be just a little bit for You anymore. I want to be all-in. Amen.