December 14

Often my bad attitude gets in the way of serving others. I find my exhaustion or the amount of things on my "to do" list get in the way. At home, I personally find it difficult to serve Joel when I think "he hasn't lived up to his end of the bargain". It's almost impossible to serve others when I'm not feeling well or they aren't in a good mood. And when the other person is just downright rude--forget it. I'm justified, right? Help me out here?

I have to admit that I'm sitting here laughing to myself a little because it feels comforting to say those things, but I know in all reality it is ridiculous to think that way.

I'm sure Jesus was exhausted most of the time in his ministry. His days were filled with needy people and naysayers. And, not to mention his own "to do" list--I'm sure it was a mile long--"save everyone from their sins, turn them away from Satan's manipulation, heal the sick, convince the Pharisees, avoid death a little longer..." I'd rather keep my regular list of "wash sheets, go to the grocery store, pick up dry cleaning..."

Jesus' family--his disciples--weren't the cream of the crop, either...outcasts, uneducated, doubters and even a traitor. Could you be a trusted friend of someone--for 3 years--knowing in the end they are going to betray your life to your enemies? I think I would be cranky about that. I don't know how Jesus felt most days--it doesn't mention that in the Bible, but I would assume he was overwhelmed by the people's needs on most days. Being overwhelmed doesn't usually put me in a "let me go serve everyone else today" kind of mood.

Lastly, I mentioned above, that when others are rude, the option of serving them is out for me (most of the time). And I don't even face that many rude people in my life. Jesus' rude people followed him around. They knew where he was and watched him. I don't know if you've observed a group of middle school girls recently. Often they stand around in the corner of the playground or a room and whisper and giggle and then every once in a while turn and point at someone and whisper and giggle some more. It's difficult to know if they are talking about you. That's basically what the Pharisee's did to Jesus. All the time, relentlessly. But instead of just pointing and giggling they "went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus" (Matthew 12:14). Pretty heavy stuff. I'm sure I would just say "OK, forget it, I give up! You win!"

I often forget that Jesus is our perfect example. He didn't just come to give us the gift of salvation--and let me tell you--that's a pretty awesome gift. He came to be an example for us. How to live out this life he called us to lead. He didn't just come to earth say, "this is what you're supposed to do, Good luck!" and ascend back into heaven. He lived the life, too.

But God's plan was even better than having Jesus come down to earth, show us how to live, save us from our sins, and ascend back to heaven. He gave us the Holy Spirit to help us do it! We're not alone. Pretty amazing stuff. The perfect plan.

It reminds me of the Nike ad--"just do it." No excuses.

What gets in the way of you serving others? Will you give it over to the Lord?

How will you remember what your priorities are? I often have to remind myself (especially at work)--"People first, phone second, paper last (including email)."

How will you ask God to help you avoid these "service robbers"--things that prevent us from serving others (see paragraph #1, above)?

Service Opportunities
1. Allow your spouse to sleep in while you take care of the kids (or the dog, in our case).
2. Make breakfast in bed for your spouse or your kids. What a fun tradition!
3. Do a chore for your spouse or kids (or coworker) that you know they don't enjoy. When Joel goes to the grocery store for me it is such a great act of service for me--we both hate it!
4. Watch your friend's or neighbors kids for them so they can have some time to shop or just have some time alone.
5. Bake a double meal and bring it over to a neighbor's house. Wouldn't that be a blessing?
6. Ask your friends "What could I do for you today (or this month) that would be a help to you?
7. Volunteer in your child's classroom. Teachers need all the help they can get.
8. Write a note (& mail it) to a friend--even if they live close--and tell them how much you appreciate them. What a nice change of pace from the regular stream of junk mail.
9. I've found that baked goods can go a long way to make someone's day a little brighter.
10. Smile while you're doing whatever act of service you do. This can be tough, especially when the other person may be grumbling, but it goes a long way in making my attitude better.

"Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28