Service

True Servant-hood is not about focusing on all the things (or reasons) you aren't able to fulfill, but finding what you are capable of, even if it's just ONE thing, and pouring your heart into it to bless and encourage as many people as you come across and taking joy in doing so.

On Sunday, my attention was gripped as we studied 1 Cor 12: 12-26 which talks about the members of Christ being one body. God walked on this earth in the body of a man and He left His spirit with us. We make up the body of Christ, not just some random unnamed, faceless stick figure. This makes it so Christ is still very much here with us as He call us and works through us.

People think Christianity is all about morality - list of rules to comply to. But the whole purpose in accepting Christ is to BE Jesus and show Him to others. Because of this, everything we do has meaning. My pastor suggested instead of "What Would Jesus Do?" we should really look at it as "What IS Jesus Doing?"
Because God cares about His children and no task of caring and encouragement is too small. And as the body of Christ, no one can fully do their part unless EVERYONE fulfills their calling and works together. He provisioned a support system for His followers.

Human vanity is a HUGE problem and a rampant sin that is left un-addressed.
The human heart is wrapped up in gaining admiration and associating itself with things regaled and accepted so it can in turn be regaled and accepted. Not being recognized for things you do or talents you have flies in opposition to this mentality, so the art and passion of being a servant often falls to the wayside.

If God is not a giving God, He can't be God, because it's His nature to pour out and He does not take. We are made in His image so this nature of giving is in our core, though too easily silenced and buried. Too often we fall into trying to fill ourselves from our own resources, but that causes us to become stagnate from a lack of change, gain, growth, and strength that God extends to us. When you serve yourself you will never truly be fulfilled and satisfied.
Matthew 16:15 goes something like this - "If you seek happiness more than you seek Me, you will have neither. If you seek to serve Me more than happiness, you will have both." (as phrased by author Tim Keller)

In reflecting on all these notes I took during the message, I came across an analogy.
To best serve, is like flying in Peter Pan - Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust (or Holy Spirit in this case) to fulfill your happy thoughts. Negative thoughts weigh you down. This doesn't mean that life is a fairy tale, but you've got to look to the lovely things in life. Look beyond yourself and circumstances and see how you can build up the community that surrounds you. Find your strength and be honest about your weaknesses and let others' strengths help you in those areas.

I end with a description of a most beautiful act of serving. Every week after the message is over at Watermark Tampa, we go into communion. One of the guys who helps greet at the door is wheelchair bound, I think due to a stroke. His enthusiasm is evident to all despite his physical disadvantages. Yesterday as we started communion, he happened to be directly in my line of vision as the person holding the elements served him first. Next to him was another man in a wheelchair who I believe had cerebral palsy, or something to that nature, where he could not rip the bread himself and dip it in the cup. The first man used his one good hand to serve communion to the second. I still tear up thinking about it. Here, so often, I excuse myself from serving because of little situational reasons and yet they ministered and supported each other despite physical disabilities. I saw Jesus in that action and it touched my heart deeply.