Thoughts on Serving.

I think being a Christian is, practically speaking, largely about serving other people.  I think this, because it is in the Bible.  As I think back over the course of my life, I have had plenty of opportunities to serve.  I took some.  I ignored some.  I generally take the ones where I think somewhere along the way I will be repaid or recognized or rewarded for my service. I think of one time when I led a team of 30 high school students on a mission trip to Chicago.  On the last day the team decided to serve the pastor of the local church by totally cleaning his entire house.  It was a wreck, so we knew it would be a blessing to them.  So, there I am on my knees with my face six inches from the toilet seat scrubbing all kinds of germs off the porcelain throne.  It was not long before word got out that I, the leader and youth pastor, relegated myself to such service.  Several attempts to take my place were offered by my disciples, but with sponge in one hand and cleaner in the other I was not about to let anyone else get my recognition.  At the time I had no idea how capable I was of such self promotion, but now I know.   (I feel gross admitting that, but the truth can be ugly.)  On occasion I take the tough ones where there is little chance of being repaid, recognized, or rewarded.  But, the innocence of those is foiled, because on the inside I am patting myself on the back for serving without being repaid, recognized, or rewarded.  (Ugh!) 

God rewards service.  However, the majority of our reward is given to us after we die.  We get crowns.  There is the crown of life, the crown of glory, the crown of righteousness, and a few others.  It seems that the number of crowns we get is linked to how we serve others by living and speaking the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I wonder if I have ever served with pure motives so that I will get one of those crowns.

I have wondered why we don’t get those crowns now.  Come on!  The kingdom of God IS here.  We don’t have to wait to begin receiving the reward of our inheritance, so why not give us our crowns.  I have a perfect place in the entry way of my house so people can see them as they enter.  Or, I could hang them near my college diploma and my ordination certificate which I have strategically placed in my office to intimidate people.  If I could get two, then one could go on the hood of my car and then I could give the other one as a gift to the local newspaper.

I guess the reason I don’t get those crowns before death is because there is still a part of me that thinks all this (life, church, service) is about me.  It seems possible that this russellanity has grown out of my ongoing battle with the pre-Christ Russell.  Or, maybe it is the fact that the church is teaching me that Christianity is all about finding my purpose, my passions, my blah blah blah.  There will be a day, though, when I will be struck so deeply by the wonder of Jesus Christ that all those that I (and all those in Christ) will lay my crowns at the feet of Jesus while singing: “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” Revelation 4:11  

I look forward to that day, because today the potential for my service to be motivated by the potential  for reward, for recognition, and for reward is great.  (as the plane is landing for a week long mission trip to Chula Vista, California)