To be a Christian means to be a follower of Christ. There are many who claim the title, but far fewer who live it. While speaking to his disciples, Jesus said that “whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26-28). On another occasion, Jesus humbled himself to the point of washing his disciples’ feet, a job reserved for the lowliest of household servants (John 13:1-15). Although he was worthy of worship, Jesus humbled himself as a servant.
From the cradle to the cross, Jesus demonstrated what it meant to serve. As his followers, we too are called to serve. Every Christian has been equipped by God to serve, a fact Paul makes very clear in his letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 12). The same Peter who had his feet washed by Jesus wrote years later that “as each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10). May we take these words, and the example of Jesus, to heart and learn to serve with diligence and joy.
There are many opportunities to serve, here are some of them:
