40-Days to Servanthood: Day 28

Servants know that to finish strong, they must keep going back to the beginning.

The list of things that servants do at which we’ve looked the past two weeks is daunting. Servants, we've said: pursue a process of trial, error, and success in finding their own brand of servanthood; serve in hidden ways; don’t overlook the service of small things; guard others’ reputations; allow others to serve them when appropriate; demonstrate common courtesy; show hospitality; attentively listen to and bear the burdens of others; give generously of themselves; forgive; choose to forget the hurts others have inflicted on them; and tell others about Jesus Christ.

No wonder many who begin by offering their lives to Christ—at least the ones who rely on their own brain, muscle, and enthusiasm--give up! But how do we keep serving God and neighbor when things like discouragement, weariness, or resentment of those who take advantage of us, set in?

I offer two passages of Scripture to encourage you.

First, Jesus says: “Apart from Me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). He says this while speaking of His relationship with all who are part of the Church. He is the vine and we are he branches, Jesus tells us. We draw everything we need to live and “bear fruit” from Him. (“Bearing fruit” means living lives that reflect the presence of Christ within us.) This passage tells us that although our commitment to reflecting our gratitude to Christ by being servants may falter, as long as we remain attached to “the vine,” Christ’s life, energy, and inspiration will flow into our lives, renewing our commitment to servanthood.

The second passage comes from the apostle Paul, who said: “I can do all things through Him [Christ] Who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). In a few moments, I intend to vacuum the first floor of our house. But unless I plug the sweeper into the outlet, I won’t get much vacuuming done and in the end, I’ll quit from discouragement. If we’re resolved to be servants who don’t give up, we must keep going back to our power source: the God we know in Jesus Christ.

Without Him, we can’t accomplish anything that matters. With Him, we can do everything that truly matters.

Servants know that to finish strong, they must keep going back to the beginning: Jesus Himself!