Series is a book review and study of Richard Foster’s Book, Celebration of Discipline. All quotes from the book are Foster unless otherwise denoted.
If you’ve been here a minute, you’ll notice we’re picking back up on a series we started a while back on the spiritual disciplines. You’ll also be familiar with several of my travel posts, most of which are recapping mission trips I have been able to take over the past 10 years or so. Well, today we’re going to dive in the spiritual discipline of service, as this has been weighing heavily on my heart recently, as I move into this new chapter of my life.
“Learn the lesson that, if you are to do the work of a prophet, what you need is not a scepter but a hoe.” -Bernard of Clairvaux
When we look to scripture, we see that Jesus was not just reversing the “pecking order” he was abolishing it. Especially when we look to Matt 20:25-28. Jesus came to serve, not to be served. Just as the cross is a sign of submission, so the towel is a sign of service. Jesus readily placed others first, and submitted himself to service, most poignantly we see in John 13:1-7, where Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. Now, I know you might not think of this as a huge act of service, but think about feet in Jesus’ day. The men wore sandals and walked most everywhere on dirt covered pathways. When I say their feet were gross, that doesn’t even begun to cover it. They were disgusting. And the job that Jesus offered was not one of elegance, but rather one delegated to a lowly servant. Yet that was His example to us. Not only to do the lowest of duties, but to volunteer for them. If you’ve ever had the opportunity to partake in a foot-washing ceremony, you know if it both the most humbling and powerful experiences there is – not only from the receiving side, but even more so from the washing side.
But then you might be thinking, service isn’t such a bad thing after all. When you serve, you feel better about yourself. You feel like you’ve done something. And as humans we tend to want to pat ourselves on the back and check it off the list of becoming better people. But we are warned to be vigilant of the difference in self-righteous service versus true service.
You see, self righteous service comes through human effort alone. It is concerned to make impressive gains on ecclesiastical scoreboards. It seeks human applause (with proper religious modesty, of course). It is highly concerned about results, and picks and chooses whom to serve. It is affected by moods and whims. Self righteous service it is temporary, insensitive, and fractures community.
But true service comes from a relationship with God. It does not distinguish the large from the small service and rests contented in hiddenness (but is not afraid of attention either). It is free of the need to calculate the results and serves everyone. It is indiscriminate in its ministry. It ministers simply and faithfully because there is a need. True service is lifestyle, can withhold the services as freely as perform it, and builds community.
There is a large connection between service and humility. Nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hiddenness. Because very time we crucify the flesh, we crucify our pride and arrogance.
“…condescend to all the weaknesses and infirmities of your fellow creatures, cover their frailties, love their excellencies, encourage the virtues, relieve their wants, rejoice in their prosperities, compassionate their distress, receive their friendship, overlook their unkindness, forgive their malice, be a servant of servants, and condescend to to the lowest of offices to the lowest of mankind” William Law – A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
You might be thinking, that’s all good and well and saying “yes…but” when confronted with opportunity. Yes, but I am not qualified. Yes, but they are not deserving. Yes, but… the list is every growing. But you see, when we choose to be a servant, we give up the right to be in charge
if we voluntarily choose to be taken advantage of, then we cannot be manipulated.
It is one thing to act like a servant, it is quite another to be a servant. If all of our serving is before others, we will be shallow people indeed. Hiddenness is a rebuke to the flesh and can deal a fatal blow to pride. While there are large tasks that need to be accomplished and often lead to recognition (whether sought out or not), these are still of gran importance in the kingdom of God. Mission trips, building houses, soup kitchens, service days, etc. These are all good things, however lest we forget this important fact: Large tasks require great sacrifice for a moment; small things require constant sacrifice. The great virtues are a rare occurrence, the ministry of small things is a daily occurrence. Ans that is what we are called to – doing small things with great love. There are many such services, such as: guarding the reputation of others, being served, common curtsy (acknowledge others and affirm their worth), hospitality, listening, bearing the burdens of each other, and sharing the word of Life with one another. Let this be our prayer…
“Lord Jesus, as it would please you bring me someone today whom I can serve”
To recap all of the spiritual disciplines from Foster’s book, check out the full series: Celebrating the Spiritual Disciplines
Series is a book review and study of Richard Foster’s Book, Celebration of Discipline. All quotes from the book are Foster unless otherwise denoted.
If you’ve been here a minute, you’ll notice we’re picking back up on a series we started a while back on the spiritual disciplines. You’ll also be familiar with several of my travel posts, most of which are recapping mission trips I have been able to take over the past 10 years or so. Well, today we’re going to dive in the spiritual discipline of service, as this has been weighing heavily on my heart recently, as I move into this new chapter of my life.“Learn the lesson that, if you are to do the work of a prophet, what you need is not a scepter but a hoe.” -Bernard of Clairvaux
When we look to scripture, we see that Jesus was not just reversing the “pecking order” he was abolishing it. Especially when we look to Matt 20:25-28. Jesus came to serve, not to be served. Just as the cross is a sign of submission, so the towel is a sign of service. Jesus readily placed others first, and submitted himself to service, most poignantly we see in John 13:1-7, where Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. Now, I know you might not think of this as a huge act of service, but think about feet in Jesus’ day. The men wore sandals and walked most everywhere on dirt covered pathways. When I say their feet were gross, that doesn’t even begun to cover it. They were disgusting. And the job that Jesus offered was not one of elegance, but rather one delegated to a lowly servant. Yet that was His example to us. Not only to do the lowest of duties, but to volunteer for them. If you’ve ever had the opportunity to partake in a foot-washing ceremony, you know if it both the most humbling and powerful experiences there is – not only from the receiving side, but even more so from the washing side.
But then you might be thinking, service isn’t such a bad thing after all. When you serve, you feel better about yourself. You feel like you’ve done something. And as humans we tend to want to pat ourselves on the back and check it off the list of becoming better people. But we are warned to be vigilant of the difference in self-righteous service versus true service.
You see, self righteous service comes through human effort alone. It is concerned to make impressive gains on ecclesiastical scoreboards. It seeks human applause (with proper religious modesty, of course). It is highly concerned about results, and picks and chooses whom to serve. It is affected by moods and whims. Self righteous service it is temporary, insensitive, and fractures community.
But true service comes from a relationship with God. It does not distinguish the large from the small service and rests contented in hiddenness (but is not afraid of attention either). It is free of the need to calculate the results and serves everyone. It is indiscriminate in its ministry. It ministers simply and faithfully because there is a need. True service is lifestyle, can withhold the services as freely as perform it, and builds community.
There is a large connection between service and humility. Nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hiddenness. Because very time we crucify the flesh, we crucify our pride and arrogance.
“…condescend to all the weaknesses and infirmities of your fellow creatures, cover their frailties, love their excellencies, encourage the virtues, relieve their wants, rejoice in their prosperities, compassionate their distress, receive their friendship, overlook their unkindness, forgive their malice, be a servant of servants, and condescend to to the lowest of offices to the lowest of mankind” William Law – A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
You might be thinking, that’s all good and well and saying “yes…but” when confronted with opportunity. Yes, but I am not qualified. Yes, but they are not deserving. Yes, but… the list is every growing. But you see, when we choose to be a servant, we give up the right to be in charge
if we voluntarily choose to be taken advantage of, then we cannot be manipulated.
It is one thing to act like a servant, it is quite another to be a servant. If all of our serving is before others, we will be shallow people indeed. Hiddenness is a rebuke to the flesh and can deal a fatal blow to pride. While there are large tasks that need to be accomplished and often lead to recognition (whether sought out or not), these are still of gran importance in the kingdom of God. Mission trips, building houses, soup kitchens, service days, etc. These are all good things, however lest we forget this important fact: Large tasks require great sacrifice for a moment; small things require constant sacrifice. The great virtues are a rare occurrence, the ministry of small things is a daily occurrence. Ans that is what we are called to – doing small things with great love. There are many such services, such as: guarding the reputation of others, being served, common curtsy (acknowledge others and affirm their worth), hospitality, listening, bearing the burdens of each other, and sharing the word of Life with one another. Let this be our prayer…
“Lord Jesus, as it would please you bring me someone today whom I can serve”
