Servant

"And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,"
II Timothy 2:24

Boy, that word "servant" brings out a lot of peoples' anger real quickly.  We think in terms of slaves or mistreated and abused workers.  But that is not the biblical meaning, and we cheat ourselves of a lot of joy when we refuse the "servant" role in our lives.

For instance, it brings me great joy to have my family over for a meal and get up often to refill their tea glasses or get something from the refrigerator or pantry for them.  I do it because I love them and enjoy bringing pleasure to their lives, not because I feel I'm a door mat.  That is one of our weak points as modern day christians.  Instead of "serving" others and trying to win them with love, we often stand on our "rights" and try to cram religion down their throats.  This verse says we should "teach" and what better way to teach than by example?  If we want others to treat us with kindness and love, we must first show them the way.  There is fulfillment in that beyond the understanding of many people today.  Don't be afraid to "serve".  Christ did it.  Are we better than Him?

My prayer for today:  Father, thank You for teaching me the true joy of servanthood.