Service or Serve-Us?

For those who know me, I love to serve and give of my time. Lately though, it seems I no longer have the time for this. Between working 60 to 70 hours a week, spending time with my loved ones and attending Church… there doesn’t seem to be any time left at the end of the week. I have a lot going on, and I currently don’t volunteer within the church but I still serve.  This brings me to my question… What’s the difference between serving (being a servant) and volunteer?

The difference is: A volunteer picks and chooses when and even whether to serve. A servant serves no matter what. A volunteer serves when convenient; a servant serves out of commitment. Basically, a servant does what he/she is lead or told to do whereas a volunteer does what he feels like doing when he/she feels like it.

I see it all the time: people are asked to give their time at church. They are cornered, coddled, coerced and convinced to volunteer. I don’t mean this in a sarcastic or rude way but some people just need a little push to get them to volunteer. Jesus didn’t seek out volunteers he called us to be servants. Jesus never asked his followers to give a few hours of their day. He called them to give everything for the sake of his kingdom.

Luke 17:7-10 “Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get you ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.”

The issue is not whether we will serve but where we will serve.

In Luke 17 there are 4 aspects to being a servant:

1.      A servant’s work is not always sensational. (v7) Believe it or not but we are called to be faithful in some pretty ordinary tasks. Serving is hard work, if you strut around bragging on where you serve…you better check your motives. Serving is difficult…you may not have much fun but the joy God gives as a result is unmatchable.

2.      Serving must be sustained. Service never ends…you may be tired, sore and running out of energy but the Master has set a place for you at his table. When your service is done the rewards are unfathomable. One of the best places to serve is your family. How would marriages be changed if husbands and wives would serve each other instead of finding fault with one another? Think of what could happen in a home if siblings would look for simple ways to serve a sister or a brother. How would things be different if children would serve their parents? Or if parents looked for tangible ways to serve their kids? In addition, can you imagine what would happen in this community if families would not only serve one another but would serve as families at 2^nd Saturday or by helping someone move?

I suspect that some of us feel like we’ve already put our time in. We’ve done the hard labor and now we feel like it’s time to sit and relax a bit. The location and intensity of your serving may change as the seasons of your life change, but no Christian has the option of sitting down to have his or her needs met, when there are still things to do. The key is to be a servant, not a slacker.

3.      Serving is a sacrifice (v9) we are not entitled to a word of thanks or appreciation. Our focus is often on our feelings whereas a servant should be focused on just doing his job. Too many of us serve with way too many expectations. This gets us frustrated and angry and mad and we determine to never serve again because no one thanked us, or because it didn’t go like we wanted it to. Remember that God does not need us to serve Him; it’s our duty and delight and He is under no obligation to reward us.

We live in a culture where we’re consumed with our “own rights” but Christ-followers must reject an attitude of entitlement that leads us to think we have a right to certain benefits or privileges.  God created us for His glory.

Romans 11:35-36: “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”

1 Corinthians 4:7: “What do you have that you did not receive?”

I don’t think it’s wrong to show appreciation when someone is serving. In fact, we need to do more of that. Most people, including me, get discouraged and a word of encouragement can go a long way.

Hebrews 3:13 “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

4.      Serving is satisfying (v10) Instead of having a feeling of entitlement; we need to see ourselves as unworthy servants. It’s like when we pay our taxes and we don’t receive a thank you note from the government – we’ve simply done what was expected of us. Think of it this way – the Lord of glory has you in His service. In that sense, serving is very satisfying because it’s an honor and privilege!

 

Serving is not always sensational, serving must be sustained, serving is a sacrifice, and yet serving is satisfying.

 

As we start the New Year, we need to be involved in service, not “serve-us.”