S is for Serve, Pt. 5

Jesus served and loved everyone. He made no distinction based on preferences.
He called people to follow Him who were polar opposites of each other.

S is for Serve, Pt. 5

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served,
but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

(Mark 10:45)

Talk about a mic drop on the subject! One of my professors in seminary said that this verse was the pinnacle of the entire Bible. The implications of this statement are so profound, we cannot afford to miss them: if Jesus served, then surely His people must serve as well.

Jesus served everyone. He made no distinction based on preferences. Jesus loved everyone: the down and out as well as the up and out, those of His race, gender, and theological stances and those who were the exact opposite. He called people to follow Him who were polar opposites of each other. Can you imagine some of the conversations around the dinner table between Simon the Zealot and Matthew the tax collector?!

Josh Howerton, pastor of Lakepointe Church in Rockwall, TX, posted this on social media recently: "Love your neighbor: homeless, gay, MAGA, progressive, Christian, Muslim, wealthy, immigrant, or addicted." Good word. It sounds like what Jesus would do: love everybody and share the good news with everyone He met.

I will close our devotions this week on servanthood with some practical ways you and I can become more like Jesus and serve others well.

Ask God to make you more of a servant. Being a servant does not come naturally to us. We must work at it and discipline ourselves to help and lend a hand. We are usually more interested in receiving crowns than towels. But the way to the crown is to take up the towel and serve.
Allow your schedule to be interrupted when you see your neighbor has a need. A few weeks back, when I was on my way to the gym, I saw my neighbor three doors down had a huge pile of dirt and rocks literally in the middle of his driveway. It was just him and his family with one wheelbarrow trying to move all this dirt and rocks to the back of the house to build a retainer wall and plant grass. I knew that I would not be going to the gym that day. My workout would consist of serving my neighbors instead. That is exactly what I did. It was hard work and in the middle of the day, but what a joy it was to help them!
Ask your neighbor if you can help with a need they may have.
Watch how God will use you when you serve in Jesus' name. (Remember the story of Brooke and Justin I shared yesterday?)
As you serve your neighbor and others, share the good news of Jesus and His love for them.

This week, serve someone in Jesus' name. Go out of your way to help another person out. Let it be a part of who you are and not just something you do on occasion. You will both be a blessing and be truly blessed yourself. God loves to bless those who bless and serve others.