The Many Faces of Service

Have you ever stopped to think about just how many different ways there are to serve?

Often we think that to serve others, it must be in some grandiose way...something big, formal, well planned.

That is sometimes the case.

We travel on missions trips to China and Honduras; to Haiti and Ukraine.  These efforts are important and impact lives.  Hopefully through their efforts, teams share and show the Gospel with those they meet.  Maybe this is done through Vacation Bible School, digging wells, building houses, or distributing Bibles.

But what about the everyday things that we do to serve?  Buying a few extra cans of food for the food bank, leaving a quarter in the Aldi's cart, raking our neighbor's leaves. 

In John 12:26 it says,

"Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. 

My Father will honor the one who serves me."

Continuing in Galatians 5:13 we read,

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. 

But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh;
rather, serve one another humbly in love."

What does your day look like?  Who will you come in contact with?  How might you serve them?  Maybe you'll buy a cup of coffee for the person behind you in the drive-through line; maybe you'll go with us to serve at a homeless women's shelter; maybe you'll hold the door for a mom struggling to carry 2 toddlers and their associated paraphernalia; maybe...

The thing that is important isn't HOW you serve, but that you DO serve.  Serving is putting someone else first; it is humbly showing love to another; it is striving to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.