Dear Friends,

I have been reading through the Gospel of Mark these days and realizing how clearly Jesus taught His disciples that serving is central to being successful in our Christian lives.

Three times He tells his disciples that He is going to die.

Three times they misunderstand.

And three times He responds to their misunderstanding by telling them that following Him requires denying themselves and humbly serving others.

(You can read about it yourself if you want to in Mark 8:31-38; 9:30-37; and 10:32-45.)

We sometimes shake our heads in disbelief that the disciples had to be taught this basic concept over and over and over again. But, I have to ask, are we doing any better than they did in understanding the idea of servanthood?

Serving others is not something that comes naturally to us. Our ideal life probably has a lot more to do with being served than in serving. Jesus turned the natural view upside down when he came to earth and told us that the person who was to be great in his kingdom was the one who serves. Since we know Jesus was telling the truth, maybe we should take a look at what it takes to have the heart of a servant.

First, we have to be willing to be humble. As we live out our lives, we find that there are many jobs that confront us that are not pleasant ones. It takes a humble person to clean toilets, sweep sidewalks, and pick up garbage. But these are jobs that need to be done. The servant is a person who does not weigh the importance of the job, but the degree to which it meets a need.

My friend Karen has a really queasy stomach when it comes to cleaning up vomit. But human bodies sometimes upchuck and if there are little children in the home, the chances of the vomit actually hitting the toilet are slim. Karen says that she has never had to clean up vomit when her husband is home. He knows her aversion to the job and simply does it without complaint. With tears in her eyes, she goes on to say that when she sees John cleaning up after their children this way, she sees Jesus.

Now, realize that John is a college professor, highly educated, acknowledged in his field, and admired by students. From the natural perspective, he is far too important to be on his knees cleaning up vomit. But John exemplifies the heart of humility as he lovingly serves his wife and children. His attitude of humble service brings the heart of Jesus into their home.

Second, we have to know that only God can weigh the value of our service. We can work hard day and night serving someone, but if we are doing it for the paycheck, for the public recognition, or even for the gratitude of those we serve, our service doesn’t count much in God’s economy. But even the smallest service we give because we are loved by God and are being obedient to His direction will be used by God in ways that we cannot even envision.

Third, we must realize that only God can make our service effective. We all know of massive efforts to help the needy that have failed miserably. Then we hear stories of small groups that are having phenomenal success in helping people get back on their feet financially, in walking successfully through release from addiction, and in healing broken relationships. Effectiveness of service goes far deeper than dollar amounts or numbers served. It has to do with eternally changed lives. If our service is directed by God and motivated by love, it will matter, for now and forever.

Fourth, we serve our brothers and sisters first. Paul stated, “. . .as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:10; emphasis added). As Christians, we have a responsibility to help the needy in our world, but we have an even greater responsibility to serve each another.

Scripture says that we are members of one body, the body of Christ, and, as such, each part of the body is designed to support and work with the other parts. Physically, if you cut your finger, the rest of your body knows it. White blood cells are sent to fight off infection, and the skin cells work furiously to begin to heal the wound. The analogy works in the body of Christ, too. If one member hurts, the other members need to rush healing and protection to that member until he is fully functioning once again.

Similarly, if we are lifting a heavy load, all the muscles of the physical body work together under the strain so the back, arms, or shoulders don’t have to handle it alone. The same is true with members of our Christian body. If someone is struggling with a life burden too heavy to carry alone, we help him for as long as it takes. What one person cannot bear alone, many working together can bear without strain. In following this God-directed pattern, our service becomes support to those who are in need and, as a result, the entire body thrives.

Finally (and maybe best!), through serving we become better lovers. Thinking back to Jesus’ teaching, we remember that He stated the greatest thing we can do in our lives is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Mark 12:29-31). Loving God and loving others is the ultimate goal of the lives we live.

Have you ever tried to love anybody by sheer willpower? It can’t be done. And there’s a reason for that. Here’s the logical order Jesus provides when we understand it fully:

1. In order to be great in His Kingdom, Jesus says, we must become servants (Mark 10:43).
   
2. And what does it mean to be great in His Kingdom? According to Jesus, there is nothing greater we can do than love God and love others (Mark 12:29-31).
   
3. We can conclude from those statements that if we want to be great, we have to be good at loving.
   
4. And, since Jesus says that the road to greatness is through serving, then it logically follows that serving must be the gateway to love.

To say it another way, love does not precede serving, it results from it. Serving makes us better lovers.

I don’t think I ever really thought of it that way before. But Jesus did. How about you?

Serving-ly and lovingly,

Bev

P.S. If you know of others who would enjoy receiving this newsletter each month, please encourage them to visit my website (www.beverlyvankampen.com), click on the newsletter icon, and enter their e-mail address. I would love to add them to our circle of friends.