To All

1 Corinthians 9:19

“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.”

A servant to all. Time and time again I have heard the phrase, “actions speak louder than words,” and as overused as it may be, it is absolute truth. If the way I walk does not line up with the way I talk, than I have a serious problem. So often I do not practice what I preach. I like to pick and choose parts of the bible, and the parts I leave out are usually the parts that will take me out of my comfort zone. But I am called to live a life that lines up with Christ’s. Though I can never, ever attain perfection, I must strive, grow, and reach to be transformed into the likeness of Christ’s image. And who is this Jesus that I am supposed to become like? That may sound like a funny question for a Christian to ask, but I so easily forget. He is the Son of the Most High God, God in the flesh, the perfect lamb slain on my behalf. He did everything for me: to know me, to love me, to captivate me, to rescue me, to hold me, to save me and refine me into something beautiful, something useful, in the hands of the Master Craftsman. He came to heal, save, restore, and serve. Yes, serve the very people who would quickly turn their backs on Him, deny they knew Him, and yell, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Jesus knew all of this would come to fruition, and still he loved, to the very end. When he finally knew that his time had come, the scriptures say that Jesus washed his disciples feet. One final act of service, before the price was paid. If this is not at the forefront of our minds, what motivation will we have to serve other sinful, underserving humans like ourselves? Matthew 20:26-28 says, “…But whoever would be great among you, must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you, must be your slave, even as the Son of Man did not come to serve, but to be served and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 2 Corinthians 4:5 says, “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” If I am to be a servant to all, I must first be a servant to the Lord. I must deny my rights, my titles, my fears and anxieties, and press on to know him deeper, seek him further, and love him more; always more. Like a tree, my roots must reach deep and wrap around the solid rock, holding onto Him for dear life. I cannot serve others in my own strength, I can do nothing apart from my Maker. If I am not planted in the love of Christ, my relationship with Him will cease to abound, and every relationship thereafter, will forever change. Everything flows from my friendship with Christ. I want to be a reflection of Jesus, a lamp that is not hidden and does not cease to radiate in the darkness and in the light. I must serve for Christ’s sake, because he first loved me and served me when he knew I would forsake him. Jesus be the heartbeat of all that I do. May your love compel me to love others wholeheartedly, and serve them expecting nothing in return. 

Application: This week, I will do one random act of service/kindness for one of my teammates.