Serving Challenge: An 11-Day Life-Changing Journey to Serve Like JesusSample

Serving Like Jesus: Jesus's Attitude

In my high school years, I remember going on mission trips with my youth group. Many times throughout the day, our youth pastor would say, "Attitude check," and we would all respond, "Praise the Lord!"

Of course, our first attitude check would be when he woke us up too early in the morning! Our "Praise the Lords" weren't quite as energetic in those early hours. Regardless of when his attitude checks came, he was helping us remember that as we serve, it's important that our serving comes from the right place. If we want to serve like Jesus, we must begin by looking at Christ's attitude toward us.

In Philippians 2:5-11, the Apostle Paul begins: "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus."

Paul calls us to have the same mindset as Jesus—although other translations use the word "attitude." And where do we learn about this mindset? From Jesus, of course.

It's impossible to have a mindset like Jesus without having your mind set on Jesus.

What do we see when we look at Jesus? Nowhere in the Gospels do we find Jesus stomping around, acting grumpy, and needing the approval of man for doing a "favor" for us. Instead, He willingly lowers Himself to serve us.

Too many people have a paradigm of God that views Him as being perpetually angry with them. However, through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we can see that it's far more common that He is not mad but madly in love with us. He will do everything possible to show us this love so that we might receive it, including the sacrifice of His own Son. God doesn't wait for us to clean up our lives to love us, either. He sent Jesus to come to us while we were still a mess and bring His love to us.

We serve because we were first served. We love because we were first loved. Christ's love, His grace working in us, compels us to be the best servants we can be in this world. We don't serve because we have to. We serve because we want to.

Challenge:

Review the following mindsets that God has toward you. Which one is the easiest to accept, and which is the hardest to bear? If you are able, elaborate on your answers.

1. Jesus desires a relationship with you.
2. Jesus loves you.
3. Jesus really likes you.
4. Jesus believes you are valuable.