"And whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man
came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:44-45 (ESV)
That we, as Christ followers, should be engaged in serving those around us is indisputable. Since its inception, Christ Community Church has made service - inside and outside the church - one of our core tenets. But we need to recognize that it is possible to serve for God without serving with God.
"Self-righteous service comes through human effort. It expends immense amounts of energy calculating and scheming how to render the service...True service comes from a relationship with the divine Other deep inside. We serve out of whispered promptings, divine urgings."
Celebration Of Discipline, page 128
It is good that we serve. But it is crucial that we examine our motives for that service. Service motivated by self-righteousness:
*is impressed with the "big deal" rather than the every day (feeding five thousand vs. washing feet)
*requires external rewards rather than God's approval
*is concerned with results and outcomes
*may pick and choose who is worthy of service
*may be affected by feelings and moods
The Spirit Of The Disciplines, pages 128-129
Honestly evaluating our motivations tells us whether we are operating out of our own energy and efforts, or if we are acting in partnership with our Holy Father.
Think about it.
Pastor Jason