In The Service Of The Master
December 2005
New Testament writers describe Christians as disciples or apprentices. The plural use makes us a community learning to imitate the life of Jesus (see last month’s article). The Bible also paints an image of us as a community in the service of the Master. The Lordship of Jesus Christ implicates us in service. Surely God is able to accomplish all without our puny service! However, he has chosen in the call of the gospel to give us dignity and freedom to serve our Master. Heaven is our home but serving the will of God on earth is the gospel’s call.
The opening verse of each of the books of Jude, 2 Peter, Romans, and Philippians reminds us that we are called to serve. Paul, in Romans 12:11, commands “serve the Lord.” Service is so important that Jesus came to earth to show us how to do it and to call us to serve (Luke 22:27; Matthew 22:37-39). Often we have statements of faith to sign or covenants of membership to agree to but no statement of practice. Is believing the right thing ever enough? To some who believe only, Christ might say in the end, “I never knew you.” Is faith without works not six feet under?
Christians serving God is how the world and the church discover the love of God. Seeing our neighbor as much in need of God’s love as we are is the holy driving force in our veins. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.”
Reflect with me: What do I do now that will add goodness to the world beyond my lifetime? Am I able to say: “God, I am satisfied in what I am doing because I am contributing to the establishment of your kingdom and your will on earth?” “Do I like to be served or to serve? How does this affect the way I live?”
Let’s get practical.
- 1. For two weeks straight, ask someone or several people you are close to “how may I serve you today?’ Then do it. Have a conversation with the Lord daily about what you are doing and jot down what you are learning about yourself.
- 2. Bank some time at work and set money aside to serve somewhere on a mission or in the next relief project next year. You know it’s coming. Why not prepare for it? Our pastor challenged us to do this as he himself is going to start doing it. When we model the people follow.
- 3. Set a goal of memorizing and meditating on the Samaritan’s parable in Luke 10:25-37 this coming month. What are you noticing the most? Read it repeatedly, and imagine yourself as the Levite and the Priest. What’s your hurry? Why do you pass by? What are you afraid of? I noticed sometime ago that television news and war coverage was dulling my sensitivity to misery around me. So I no longer watch the news. I figured that if it is important enough everybody around me will be talking about it. Step into the shoes of the Samaritan and imagine yourself there. What drives you to help? How much can you help given your present time and financial commitments?
Walking with the Master is being yoked with him for service.
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Past Columns
- The Slow Cure Of Anger June 2010
- Wrath Or Anger? May 2010
- Losing Lustful Passions April 2010
- The Slippery Slope Of Untamed Passions March 2010
- Dealing With Gluttony February 2010
- Gluttony January 2010
- Sloth’s Solutions December 2009
- Sloth, Not The Animal Kind November 2009
- Fighting Against Envy October 2009
- Envy: Why Not Me? September 2009
- More Columns from Walking with the Master
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