Service: An Unsung Gift of GodExemplo

Day 5: Service is Countercultural 

Humanly speaking, we like to be served, but we don't like to serve. Service isn't easy. It's much easier to lounge around and boss people about whilst they serve us. 

Jesus, however, makes quite clear that the way of the world isn't the way of His Kingdom. The Kingdom of God isn't necessarily a comfortable Kingdom to be part of - our King makes demands of us. We are all to serve one another out of love. 

We often think of service as an undesirable means to the end of no longer needing to serve. If we serve hard enough, maybe we can retire for someone else to serve us. But there's no retirement in God's Kingdom. For example, when we retire from secular work, we might devote ourselves to the work of the Lord, health permitting, even if it's in something as humanly unquantifiable as devoting more time to prayer. 

Jesus sets the standard for us. He didn't come as some overbearing Lord, but as a suffering servant on our behalf. If He gave everything for sinners like us, it's not too much for Him to ask everything of us. 

'Almighty God, how amazing that You would serve us, and yet so You do in every moment, and ultimately in the Lord Jesus Christ. Because He gave all for us, may we give all for Him, in His name we pray, amen.' 

Are you prepared to 'swim against the tide' by being servant-hearted?