Word of the Week - Service

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give His life as a ransom for many” Mark 10:45

Service is defined as someone providing help and assistance to those being served.  I would suggest that Service should always involve adding value to the person being served.  I believe that Service is as much an attitude and perspective as the specific Service being provided.  The majority of us work everyday Serving others to make our living by providing something that is of value such as food, repair, maintenance, computer or financial advisory services.  We have the opportunity to be both providers and recipients of Services and typically have a sense for what constitutes bad, average and good Service.  Service is typically evaluated and measured relative to our comparable Service experiences.  For instance we compare our experience eating at one restaurant vs. another restaurant and would typically not compare a fine dining experience to a fast food experience.  Service makes the world go round and creates a tremendous opportunity to influence others and make an impact in this world. 

Heart of Service – I believe the single most important key to providing great Service is ensuring that we have the right heart attitude, which begins on the inside.  Understanding that it is truly a blessing and privilege to be able to Serve others.  Not seeing it as a burden but as a blessing. “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus himself said; ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive”. Acts 20:35  With the right perspective we realize that there is true joy in the act of Serving and giving of ourselves, especially when it is done with pure motives.  This is really the essence of the Gospel, that Jesus “Gave His all for us” to model what it looks like to be a follower of Christ.  As believers, we exist to Serve others by showing God’s love in practical ways through meeting the needs within our communities, families and spheres of influence.  Simple acts of personal kindness can open hearts to the love of Jesus for both those being served and those serving. 

Going the Extra Mile  – “Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two” Matthew 5:41  Having a willing spirit to go the extra mile is one of the things that differentiates typical Service from exceptional Service.  When we are willing to go way past what is expected or the minimum threshold, we typically make a meaningful impression and engender goodwill with those we are Serving.  It is important to keep a pure heart and not do it so that person “owes you” but do it out of the desire Serve them well.  This is the true heart of ministry Service and what the Lord has done for each of us who call upon His name.  That being said, these principals work well in any and all areas of life, especially in business.  If you want to differentiate yourself in business and build strong and loyal client/customer relationships then go the “extra mile” by going well beyond what is “expected” and you will win clients and friends for life.  Moreover, the person who Serves selflessly, lovingly, without complaint, and without seeking recognition is highly regarded in the Kingdom of God.   Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4

Communication is key to providing great service to others.  We must be thoughtful and timely with our communication to properly manage expectations and keep the person being Served informed.  How the people we are Serving feel throughout the process really matters and this is a function of our ability to communicate well.  Many times there are circumstances that we cannot control when providing Service to others, which may lead to less than favorable outcomes even though we did everything we could do to achieve the preferred outcome.  Especially during these situations, communication is paramount. When and how we communicate things is almost as important as what we are communicating.  It is very important that we “speak the truth in love” at all time and not try to alter or manipulate information to avoid the truth or reality.  “We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like truth.  Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the Church”. Ephesians 4:14-15  I think we can all appreciate times when those who were serving us shared less than favorable news but did it in a way that was forthright and honorable (in love), and we felt like they had our best interest at heart and were Serving us well.  This may be juxtaposed to situations where we had little or no communications and felt like we were getting strung out and manipulated to find out at the end that we were not told the truth in a timely manner.  Communicate clearly, frequently and in the proper mode of delivery (in person, telecommunication, written note, email, text etc.)

Serving others is Worship - We win the Lord’s heart by loving Him through worship.  Serving others in the name if Jesus is one of the highest forms of worship to the Lord Jesus.  It is a way to tangibly love the Lord.  Especially when we serve the needy and less fortunate who could never repay us.  So whether you are serving a your spouse/family, client/customer, friend or the least of these among us, serve others with all of your heart and do it with no strings attached in the name of Jesus and for this you will be blessed both now and for eternity.  This is truly a win/win.  “The King will reply.  “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did unto me”.  Matthew 25:40

Let’s look for opportunities this week to Serve others in the name of Jesus.

Have a great week,

-Duane