To Serve or Not to Serve,That is the Question

You may be thinking I've lost my mind.  The title seems like a silly question to ask; of course we're supposed to serve, Jesus commanded it.  But, what does serving really mean?

This stream of consciousness post is coming from some of the thoughts rattling around in my head during yesterday's sermon. Yesterday was week two of my church's series, Resolutions.  In the sermon from Luke 22:24-27, Pastor Leonce talked about the disciples questioning of Jesus and their definition of greatness vs. His definition of greatness.  In it, Leonce talked about the use of the word serve in verse 27.  This isn't really the run of the mill serving; it's the down and dirty, thankless, behind the scenes, nobody sees, washing nasty feet serving.  And that's what got me thinking.

How many times when I'm serving am I really doing it out of a desire to be more like Jesus and how many times do I want people to like me, think I'm a good Christian, win "jewels in my crown, etc."?  Sadly, I think for me, serving has become more of the latter in my life.  I've lost sight of WHY I'm supposed to be serving and am caught up in the task of serving.  I also have been guilty of preventing others from serving because I think I know the best way to pack coffee supplies on Sundays after a service.  Really?!  I can't just show someone and step away and trust they can do it just as well as I can?  What's really driving that?  Yesterday during the sermon and in a conversation right after the service, I hit on the answer.  It's pride.  My sinful, prideful nature managed to rear it's ugly head and pervert something biblical into something worldly.   We talked after the service that it's a function of being a church plant and having been around since the beginning but I think that was just a prideful excuse to avoid dealing with the issue.  At least for me it was. 

I am repenting of that sin of pride and resolving to focus on why I'm supposed to be serving - to show Christ to whomever walks in our doors on Sunday.  It doesn't matter what people think of me, it matters that they see Christ in my actions.