What is service?
First I'd like to debunk the idea that there is segregation in the body of Christ. The idea that there is a class of servants and then there is everyone else leads to a misunderstanding of what the service is.
What is service: It's love in action.
John 21:15-17
5 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of [b]Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I [c]love You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of [d]Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I [e]love You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of [f]Jonah, do you [g]love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
And you can read 1 Corinthians 13 to understand what love is.
The call to serve is extended to all. However, there are different roles. Different talents. Different ministries, but one spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
4 There are [d]diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works [e]all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by [f]the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Many are called but few are chosen.
You can not separate the life of Service from the life of the believer.
James 2:14-17
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Unfortunately, many are called to the service, but only few are chosen. Where did this statement come from? We will look at three examples and let's try and see the common element between these three.
Matthew 20:1-16
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing [a]idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, [b]and whatever is right you will receive.’
8 “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ 9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they [c]complained against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ 13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For[d] many are called, but few chosen.”
We see this "Many are called, but few are chosen" in Matthew 22 about the parable of the wedding. But it's surprising up there, because all of them worked in the field. And the people whom this was referring to were the people who complained, IE the people who worked the entire day.
Also the parable of the prodigal son. The older son compared himself to the younger son
Luke 15:25-30
25 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’
28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
Even the disciples disputed with each other who's the greatest:
Luke 22:24-47
24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. 25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. 27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.
You can see a common theme in these 3 examples. They all compared themselves to one another: Look I worked more than that guy. Who's the greatest. What was God's response?
God's ways are not our ways
But God's ideas and who he wants us to be run counter intuitive to what we naturally want. Service is about getting down and dirty. It's about hard work. It's about forgetting about yourself and your ego.
John 13:3-5
Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
You see Jesus Christ being God, didn't consider it shameful to wash the disciples feet. This is the manner of servant God wants us to be. He didn't think about his prestige or his glory.
God doesn't use the same measure as us
Remember the story of the poor woman who gave 2 pence and God praised her because she has given all she had.
Luke 21: 1-4
And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.[a] 3 So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; 4 for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings [b]for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”
In here there is a comparison as well. But you can see that God points out the woman who gave the least. Two pence is nothing, but it's all she had.
Comparing your service to others is fruitless and has many adverse effects.
1 Corinthians 3:11-15
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
A person might seem to be doing a lot but his work might be considered less than the person who appears to do very little, but in fact he has given all he had.
And see how he declares the tax collector's prayer acceptable
Luke 18:9-14
Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be [d]humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Instead of then comparing myself to others, the questions I should be asking myself:
- Am I giving all I have or am I giving out of my abundance?
- Am I constantly looking around and comparing what I'm doing to others?
- Am I secretly happy at the failure of people?
- Am I secretly subverting my brother's or sister's work?
- Am I trying to put others down so I can look like the good guy?
- Am I giving so people can see me?
- Do I consider my self more educated than the people around me, and therefore I have nothing to learn from them?
If you answer yes to any of these, and speaking personally, I can probably answer yes to all of them at one point in my life, congratulations you're suffering from pride.
Pride and Greed go hand in hand
Pride and Greed can be viewed as two faces of the same coin. Pride is always looking at his ego. Greed is always looking how to satisfy the ego. One famous quote from C.S. Lewis:
C.S. Lewis
A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.
St. Paul puts it more eloquently.
1 Timothy 6:6-10
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, [d]and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Now if I diagnose our ailment as human beings and associate the misery we suffer to pride and stop there, then I've done us a disservice.
It's like me telling you "Hoppler Boxscrape Chorenn Wetwest"
You can't do anything with that because it's a sentence which has no meaning.
Now I'm probably exaggerating a little bit here, but the point is, if we just say "I'm prideful" or if I go confess that to a priest. It really has no meaning, unless you clearly define what Pride actually means in practical terms and more importantly in your own life.
Pride comes in two forms:
- People putting themselves above everyone else
- People putting themselves below everyone else
Sounds weird, eh? # 1 seems to make sense somewhat. But the second one doesn't. How could someone who puts himself below everyone else be prideful.
And here is my point. Pride is not about boasting or about abasing oneself, it's about thinking of yourself more than normal. It's about putting yourself before the other.
The next question that would pop in our minds is: Should I never think of myself then?
It is important to be precise with our words. What do we mean when we say "think of ourselves". It's the act of putting down others so that I might be all in all. It's about wanting myself to be the centre of the universe. This could manifest itself in different forms. Someone might insist that everyone else go in front of him during communion and makes a big show of it, just so people can see what he's doing:
Matthew 6:1-4
6 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you [a]openly.
So a good metric to measure pride, is how much do I think of myself? Analyze yourself:
- Am I upset because I didn't get what I want?
- Am I upset because that person got recognition and I didn't?
- Am I obsessed with getting my way?
- When I plan something, is my happiness and my will in the foremost of my mind?
- Do I listen to others to learn or to criticize them?
- Do I consider people's position and rank and prefer to deal with people who seem to be something, so that I can benefit from them?
- Do I watch other's people's actions and compare myself to them?
- Do I get upset when something good happens which I'm not involved in?
Training
If I find myself thinking of my ego a lot I should practice the following:
1 Corinthians 8:13
Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
You should read the entire chapter. The idea here is that I shouldn't use my liberty for the hurt of others. But the point I'm trying to make is good practice to subdue my ego is to look for what you can do for others in your relationships.
- What can I do for my parents?
- What can I do for my friends?
- What can I do for my country (Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country)
Going back to the question: So is it okay to think of yourself? Certainly. And I'll give you a good example:
Many times, you might need to say no about specific things to make sure that you reserve your energy and protect yourself in order to continue serving. You have to prioritize the tasks you have and choose what you can and can not do, depending on your energy and your capacity. All these actions require you to think of yourself and to know yourself. But you're doing that in order to maintain your ability to serve and be helpful to others, not so that you put yourself above others.
A common lie that we often face is that you have to kill (figuratively) yourself for others. That you have to say yes to everything. But the common result of that is you burn out and you stop serving. If you're lucky, you stop serving for a short period of time and if you're not lucky you could quit completely. And I would argue pride is the source of the desire to be involved in everything.
I want to address two points for clarity:
Confidence vs Pride
We often confuse the two. We think if someone is confident, then he must be prideful. I don't think so. We already talked about pride above. Confidence comes from knowing your abilities and yourself and knowing what you can and can not do. It also comes from the experiential knowledge that God is always there fore you; that he gave you a specific job to do and you're fulfilling it.
2 Corinthians 3:4-6
4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the [a]Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
As St. Paul points us, our sufficiency is of God. We should all be confident in that sufficiency.
Also confident people are not afraid to admit when they are wrong, or when someone else is right. Prideful people have trouble with both.
Confident people are not afraid of acknowledging other people's strengths. This is the case because other people's sufficiency is not viewed as something taking away from my own sufficiency. Because God made both of us sufficient. We complete each other.
Humility vs self-hate
On the flip side, we confuse Humility and self-hate. It seems a common pitfall to think that we must hate ourselves and call ourselves names, like I'm worthless, I'm not good at anything, so we can prove our humility. In fact I would argue that underlying this reasoning is the ego. It's like a mirror image of gloating.
Ephesians 5:25-32
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might [g]sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, [h]of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32
We can not hate ourselves because we are members of the body of Christ and we are commanded to love. That love extends to ourselves as well. Therefore Humility is not equal to self-hate. So what is Humility?
It's the opposite of pride. It's about thinking of yourself less. It's about benefiting others. Look at Jesus Christ, He being God became man for us, to save us.
Phillippians 2:5-11
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it [b]robbery to be equal with God, 7 but [c]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Conclusion and Final thoughts
The point I concentrated on here in much detail is the "Pitfall of Pride" in our lives.
- We shouldn't compare ourselves to someone else
- We should aim to think of ourselves less in the right way
- We should self reflect and make sure we're on the right path and if not we should apply corrective measures.
- We should practically train ourselves to be less prideful. This is the action of putting others ahead of yourself, even if it's not comfortable.
- We understood the difference between confidence and pride
- We understood the different between humility and self-hate
Thinking
One underlying point I subtly made through out is the importance of thinking. You can't recognize your own pride without exercising your self examination faculties. This is a practice which requires deep thinking about various topics you encounter in life and you reaction to them.
The final point I'd like to make here, is the importance of flexing your thinking muscles.
Importance of Independent thought
I said this many times, but I think it's a point worth repeating.
In order to become a better painter, it's not enough to only look at painting, you need to paint.
In order to get good at math, it's not enough to only study solved mathematical problems, you need to solve math problems from scratch.
In order to get good at software development, it's not enough to look at other people's code, you need to develop software yourself,
The point being, it is not enough to only learn theory, you need to actively practice in order to get good.
The same applies to thinking. If you want to be a good thinker it's not enough to read/listen to other people's thoughts, you need to do some thinking of your own.
Without being a good thinker, you'll find yourself relying on other people's assessments of you and basing your decisions on what they are telling you. And more importantly, you'll never be able to know God and come into a relationship with him without having the ability to think deeply about topics. One thing I'd like point out: the ability to think and gain wisdom is not necessary tied in the amount of knowledge you accumulated. Knowledge does not equate to heavenly wisdom. There are many people who might appear simple or uneducated, but are very wise.
The skill of deep thinking is a point that's most often glossed over and even made fun of. I think that's short sighted. I believe we all as servants are called to seek after wisdom. In fact it's our duty to others to seek after wisdom, because without wisdom we have nothing to offer.
I'll leave you with this
Proverbs 1:20-33
Wisdom calls aloud [h]outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.
21 She cries out in the [i]chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:
22 “How long, you [j]simple ones, will you love [k]simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
23 Turn at my rebuke;
Surely I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the [l]turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be [m]secure, without fear of evil.”