Walking in the Way
by Helen Lescheid
“…Serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Galatians 5:13,14).
One of my goals is to practice the art of loving service. This will not come naturally, I know. To be very honest, often, instead of thinking of another person’s need, I’m asking “What about me?” So, it will mean crossing out the big “I.” The Bible calls it dying to self.
It will also mean practice, practice, practice. Loving is an art that requires effort and concentration. Rubenstein, the great musician, once said, “If I omit practice one day, I notice it; if two days, my friends notice it; if three days, the public notices it.” It is the old doctrine, “practice makes perfect.” We must continue believing, continue praying, continue doing His will. Suppose along any line of art, one should cease practicing, we know what the result would be. If we would only use the same quality of common sense in our religion that we use in our everyday life, we should go on to perfection. (1)
When I think of loving service, two of my friends– I shall call them Paul and Susan–come to mind. They’re a retired missionary couple but service has remained their chosen life style. She sorts clothes for the Salvation Army’s Thrift store and helps out at the local food bank. He teaches wood working skills to seniors in a care home and does carpentry work at the Christian school. They’re also active in their local church and much involved with their large family.
Paul and Susan are so alive, so joyful. It reminds me of the words of Jesus, “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.” ” Giving is more joyous than receiving not because it is a deprivation, but because in the act of giving lies the expression of my aliveness,” writes Erich Fromm. (2)
Prayer: Dear God, I want to serve You and others with diligence as Jesus did who stooped to wash His disciples’ feet and did so with great cheerfulness.
(1)The Art Of Loving, page 19 (2) Streams in the Desert, page 30
About the Author: http://talk.thelife.com/authors/helen-lescheid/
Next month I’ll have been married a year – I think marriage is one thing that has challenged me to love and serve more than anything. For me when I see what the big picture is or if it’s something that’s really going to change someone’s life it’s not so much of a struggle to serve, but in the little things – like sharing the remote control or getting up early in the morning to make the coffee is when I find it’s the hardest. This devotional is right on though – all it takes is dying to self in the big AND small things, and I might not see the results of my service now to make ME feel better (again it comes back to the big “I”) but just to know that my heavenly father is pleased with me is a big enough reward for me!
I appreciated the connection to music practise; it takes diligence and effort to keep the music sounding great! Another music analogy I’ve heard is: “Only practise on the days that you eat!” Perhaps that saying is also appropriate in our practise of serving. This article was a welcome reminder to stay at it.
Only in the past few years have I really learned to serve others. It was always for ME, but once you start giving to others, you realize you are not only pleasing God, but it makes you happy too. And, not only in serving others, but also in my giving material things as gifts have I learned to be really joyful.