On Serving

serve: v. To be a servant, to work for. Religion: to obey and worship. To attend, supply the wants of.

What does it mean to serve? More specifically, how does one serve God? 

Traditional religion has a tendency to categorize service as anything that has to do with its function. Therefore, for example, a minister or priest is viewed as being in service to God. I would suggest true service takes place in the mundane and ordinary, invisible acts and actions of everyday people in everyday life.

Recovery was difficult—to say the least. Complications from the “routine” surgery were many, exacerbated by a base terminal condition.

He was unable to eat, rejecting anything ingested, including liquids. When an attempt was made, his body, with its newly acquired surgical wounds, was ravaged by the vomiting.

He didn’t register a temperature but the body’s core must have been on fire. The only respite was the application of washcloths soaked in ice water, wrung out, then placed on his head, chest, feet, arms—any area of exposed skin. Not long after their application, the cloths were turned over, the side exposed to the body no longer icy cold but hot to the touch.

The nurses kept a plastic container filled with ice so the cold compresses could be easily created.

Family members took turns preparing and applying the icy cloths, swathing him with coolness, They then sat by his bed, holding his warm hand with their ice-cold ones. “Aah, that feels so good,” he would comment.

The story of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples was an ongoing reminder as the scene played out—over and over again for days on end until he passed.

Jesus was preparing for the fulfillment of His purpose on earth, His sacrificial crucifixion on the cross, when He met with His disciples. He began by washing their feet, a lowly task typically performed in those times by a servant for his master. When Peter resisted, insisting he needed to be the one washing Jesus’ feet, He explained its importance. He was foretelling a picture of being spiritually cleansed, the result of the soon-to-be resurrected Messiah. 

The Master is not greater than the servant.

To serve is not about me. It is about others. And it consists of seemingly inconsequential actions and deeds done silently and privately in daily life.

Cases in point—Jesus washing the feet of His disciples; the comfort of ice cold washcloths placed on one who could not do it for himself.

In a parable, Jesus explained who would inherit His eternal kingdom: “I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

The parable continued as the question came up, “When did that happen?”

“As you did it to one of the least of these, you’ve done it to me.” Matthew 25:34-37, 39, 40

An act of service needs to be natural and unplanned rather than predetermined and laid out. As with all things of God, it needs to come from the heart, not the head.

How can we serve God? By living life with Him, in His presence. That is when His love, care, compassion, and concern emanate from within. Serving God is about others. It is never about me. Or you.