As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are made to serve!
It’s part of who we are, part of our make-up, and part of our spiritual DNA. Don’t believe me? Consider Matthew 20:28 where Jesus said this:
“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.”
The day we said, “Yes,” to a saving relationship with Jesus is the day we committed the rest of our lives to becoming more like Him. And, if we want to be like Him, we must learn to serve like Him!
When we forget that we were made to serve, we open the door for all kinds of nasty, destructive problems to enter into our lives. Non-serving Christians become critical… And cynical… And contentious… And ultimately, they live out their faith as faultfinding and finger pointing blame assessors.
Guess what… That’s the kind of teens they raise, as well!
When our young people see their parents “going” to church, without “serving” the church, they will become contentious consumers just like the adults in their lives. Instead of seeing needs and finding creative ways to become the solution to those needs, those teens will only focus on their wants, their desires, and their right to be catered to and carefully coddled.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a less attractive sight than a high maintenance, “what’s in it for me?” young person. Wait… there is one sight that’s just as disturbing … a high maintenance, “what’s in it for me?” adult!
Service is the prescription that cures the malady of self-centeredness and high maintenance that plagues our pews!
Please hear me clearly on this…Service cannot earn us favor with God. Service cannot make us more acceptable to God. Service cannot atone for our sins.
However…
Service takes our eyes off of ourselves and focuses them squarely on the needs of others.
Service reminds us to be thankful and provides an outlet for us to exhibit our gratitude toward Christ for all He’s done for us.
Service protects us as it keeps our spiritual hands busy and leaves us less time for self-gratification and the temptations of sin.
The young people I know who are the most passionate and committed to Christ are the same young people who find their greatest purpose in service for Him. They are creative, enthusiastic, problem-solvers!
They are the first to volunteer and the last to quit. They are the first to encourage and the last to complain. They are the uplifters and cheerleaders, instead of the criticizers and faultfinders.
To a person, the young people I know who fit in this category have parents who live the same positive, purposeful, others-oriented type of lives. They have learned how to serve and how to establish a servant’s heart as they have watched their parents live out and model such a lifestyle before them.
Their parent’s example of faithfulness has produced faithfulness in their lives, also.
These young people are the future leaders of our churches. They are the ones who will reach the next generation for Christ. However, they cannot do it alone! They need a multitude of like-minded and servant-focused friends to join the battle.
Preparing that type of army to go into battle for the Lord won’t happen by accident! It will only happen as we, their parents, work diligently to serve Christ out of a heart overflowing with gratitude. It will happen as we bring our young people along on the wondrous journey of others-oriented, Christ-centered service toward others!
How are you doing? Is your model of service preparing your children to serve wholeheartedly? Is your love for service cultivating a family environment of passionate service to others? Moms and dads, you make the difference!
