Why Do Some People Serve?
by Don Riley | April 9, 2011
Today I helped hang dry wall in a house in the inner city of Memphis. A large Sunday school class from Second Presbyterian Church, the Crossroads Class had a large number of really enthusiastic guys and gals serve to the degree that we were finished by noon.
Earlier this morning I asked my friend and leader Bobby Shute why do some people serve?
I loved his answer. He said, “I did not always serve, but now I am dying to self and have a desire to live for Jesus”.
At the work project this morning I asked the very
dynamic Mitchell Moore what he thought about the question, why do some
people serve. I loved his answer. He said, “With the great resources we
have to live transformationally and to live as those who make a
difference, how can we not serve”?
I am sure the reasons why some serve and why some do not serve are as varied as there are people.
My father was an Air Force Colonel, so I grew up “in
the service”. My father in law was an Army Colonel so Susan grew up “in
the service”. But I am sure that it is erroneous to assume that
Christians who are from a military background automatically make that
transference to Christian service.
First one must be a Christian to be one who serves
Christianly. Second, one has to be less self centered and more God
centered to understand the call to be like Jesus. Jesus came humble as a
servant. Mark 10:45 says “He came not to be served, but to serve”.
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (in Deut. 9:7);
Moses (in 1 Kings 8:53);
Joshua (in Joshua 24:29);
Caleb (in Numbers 14: 24);
Job (in Job 1:8);
Isaiah (in Isaiah 20:3);
the prophets (in Jeremiah 7:25);
James (in James 1:1);
Paul (in Romans 1:1; and Philippians 1:1);
Peter (in 2 Peter 1:1);
Jude (in Jude 1);
and John in Revelation 1:1
all either are referred to as servants or refer to themselves as servants.
We have been saved to serve. Amy Carmichael had two crosses one top of the chapels she built on the mission field. One was over the altar to remind the worshipers of that first priority and one was over the exit door to remind them of their duty to serve.
The Orange Mound Housing Initiative going on now building affordable houses in an under resourced community in Memphis has drawn a great number of those who want to serve as the hands and feet of Christ in incarnational ways. It is very, very, very encouraging to see the huge number of people who are giving their time treasure and talent to be Christ in a pair of blue jeans with a hammer and a tool belt.
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (in Deut. 9:7);
Moses (in 1 Kings 8:53);
Joshua (in Joshua 24:29);
Caleb (in Numbers 14: 24);
Job (in Job 1:8);
Isaiah (in Isaiah 20:3);
the prophets (in Jeremiah 7:25);
James (in James 1:1);
Paul (in Romans 1:1; and Philippians 1:1);
Peter (in 2 Peter 1:1);
Jude (in Jude 1);
and John in Revelation 1:1
all either are referred to as servants or refer to themselves as servants.
We have been saved to serve. Amy Carmichael had two crosses one top of the chapels she built on the mission field. One was over the altar to remind the worshipers of that first priority and one was over the exit door to remind them of their duty to serve.
The Orange Mound Housing Initiative going on now building affordable houses in an under resourced community in Memphis has drawn a great number of those who want to serve as the hands and feet of Christ in incarnational ways. It is very, very, very encouraging to see the huge number of people who are giving their time treasure and talent to be Christ in a pair of blue jeans with a hammer and a tool belt.
Jesus was a carpenter and understands the importance
of plumb lines. We are called to plumb the depth of our servanthood and
ask the question.
Why do some people serve?