Day 4: Servant of All
Mark 9:33-37
In the next 24 hours, live out what Jesus talks about in the above scriptures. Especially think of a way you welcome a little child in Jesus' name.
Why do you think that Jesus took a child into his arms for these remarks? What does it say about Jesus' ministry that a little child was already nearby?
First of all, I am willing to put it out there that that little child may have been likely to be screaming its head off and way unhappy. Because 13 dudes just showed up in his home to "settle in." My youngest is two, and if this happened in our home she would have ran to me and started yelling something like..."No way mommy! No way!" I am just sayin. I think from what all I have read about this time in history, that kids were not exactly the "prizes of society." Taking care of a child is hard stuff already, but when the culture around you does not even support it, I am sure the thought of "welcoming" that little screaming (I think he was screaming) child to be a part of whatever they were doing, was quite the sobering thought for these twelve guys.
What does this say about his ministry? I think it just speaks to the fact that Jesus is so REAL, and so on every level that we are. He says that has been there and he knows that taking care of kids is so not an easy job, but if you welcome them and tell them about me, that is one of the most IMPORTANT things you can do in your life. I think that is just an extremely humbling thought.
Who do you think is blessed more? The servant or the one being served?
No doubt the one doing the serving is blessed more. Most of the time the ones being served are being served because they are in NEED of something. A childcare worker at church is needed to take care of those children while the parents attend the service. The child in that situation can have fun with the worker and be blessed by their interactions with them. But, the things that the worker gains is far better and weightier, and fuller, and richer than what the child receives. But, ultimately as the server your goal is to give all of those things to the one being served as well.
Take an inventory of how you spend most of your days. Is your life characterized more by being served or serving? Is it different during Christmas time?
My roles in life as a housewife (side note - I hate that because of certain TV shows that the term "housewife" gives me a negative feeling.), mother, and homeschool teacher are by nature "servant" type roles. But, how I fulfill those roles is up to me, and to be honest, my heart is not always in it as a "servant heart" should be. I know I can do better at posturing my heart before every day begins to be "servant minded" all day long.
I honestly, honestly enjoying the giving at Christmas time more than the getting. Does this mean I am completely unselfish? As my two year old would say..."no way." Sometimes in my serving I can have selfish attitudes. I want to give good gifts to people that will make them happy, but maybe being praised for giving a good gift would be kind of awesome too. Or the attitude of wanting your house to look amazing so that people will tell you how amazing your house looks. It is SO easy to fall into this stuff. I think, for me and my house we could do a better job at FOCUSING on being servants at Christmas time. What are some real practical ways of doing this? Going as a family to buy toys to give to someone else, and all along the way encouraging the kids to be grateful for everything that they already do have, and not thinking about everything they will GET this Christmas. (this is SO hard I know.) But, I think effort is needed, and just a little more try in the servanthood arena and I think we would be amazed at what the Lord will do in us.
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