"I Live To Serve"

While doing research a couple of years ago to see which smartphone would fill my needs in a practical sense, I asked a local cell phone representative to demonstrate the various capabilities of the Apple iPhone5 to me. One of those capabilities is that of the intelligent personal assistant and knowledge navigator known as “Siri.” Using your own natural language, Siri can answer questions, make recommendations, and perform actions. Over a period of time, this built in software adapts to the user’s individual preferences, personalizes results, and performs tasks such as finding recommendations for nearby restaurants, or getting directions. Siri can also make notes and reminders for the user.

During the demonstration, I asked Siri to remind me to pick up some items at our local dollar store at a certain time. When the time arrived a few minutes later, there were several beeps that sounded, reminding me of the task. When I thanked Siri, she answered and said, “I live to serve.” It’s amazing that a cell phone device can do all of the above. What’s even more amazing (at least to me), is that whoever programmed the Siri software, was obviously familiar with the biblical principle of service and serving others (Matthew 4:10; John 13:1-17).

As followers of Christ, we’ve been called to “serve one another” (Gal. 5:13) and to serve our Lord (1 Corinthians 7:21-22). In His interaction with the mother of Zebedee’s sons as to their authority and rank in the kingdom (Matthew 20:20-24), our Lord called his disciples aside and told them:

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28).

In the Lord’s church, there are some members who think that the church should serve them rather than the opposite. Beloved, what is our attitude toward Christian service today? Is our answer the same as Siri‘s — “I live to serve”?

Beloved, if we’re not living to serve the Lord and our fellow man, let’s adjust our attitude accordingly.

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets