Tennis anyone? If you’ve ever played tennis, one of the vital skills to learn is the serve. A weak serve will nearly always lead to defeat. Top players will spend many hours mastering it. My question for you today is, “How’s your “serve” and what are you doing to improve your “serve” in life? A weak serve in life will have little meaningful impact on those around you.

When you think of a life of service you may picture Mother Teresa serving in the slums of Calcutta India, or Dr. Albert Schweitzer medical missionary to Africa. A frequent practice over the past several years when seeing a member of the military or law enforcement in uniform is to express gratitude by saying, “Thank you for your service.”  

Some memorable quotes about service include: “Customer service shouldn’t just be a department; it should be the entire company.” – Tony Hsieh. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill. Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.”- Albert Einstein. “We are not put on this earth for ourselves but are placed here for each other. If you are there always for others, then in time of need, someone will be there for you.” – Jeff Warner.

What’s your mindset and motive when it comes to service? Do you tend to use people to get what you want out of them? Is your thinking the world revolves around me, and others are here to serve me? It sure seems like people are becoming increasingly selfish. It’s all about my needs, my greed, my likes, and my rights.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to serve! Jesus not only taught it, but He modeled it. Perhaps the most vivid example of service takes place when Jesus is in the upper room with His disciples and after supper, He girds Himself with a towel and begins washing the disciple’s feet, including the one who would betray Him.

Impetuous Peter declares “Never will you wash my feet!” To which Jesus responds,” If I do not wash you, you have no part in me.”  After the foot washing, He says “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. It is on the heels of this event that Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Jesus not only gave His life in service while on this earth but paid the ultimate price by sacrificing His life for us on the cross so that we could be reconciled to God. Jesus said, “The greatest among you will be your servant.”  And in Mark 9:35 we read, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”  So, “What are you doing to improve your serve?”

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