'Tis the Season to Serve

As we move through another holiday season, it’s important to reflect on what the season truly is, especially for the Christian. Some will say it’s about family, and they would not be wrong. Many Hallmark cards will remind that the season is about peace on earth. And Christians and non Christian’s alike would agree that the most popular narrative of Christmas is that it’s a season of giving. The season doesn’t have to represent one thing or even the same for all people, and none of these listed are wrong, and even deserve the attention they get. However, a theme that I feel does not get the correct proportion of promotion, relative to its message delivered by Jesus, is that of serving. Jesus even states in Mark 10:45 that it’s why he came, “for I did not come to be served, but to serve.” He was born on earth for the purpose of serving.

Now I’m not suggesting that serving, or the promotion of serving, is lacking within popular Christian church culture and doctrine. In fact, the global Christian church still leads the way for humanity in regards to serving the world via meeting humanitarian needs. I do however feel there is a message of serving attached to the Christmas story that runs counter to the promotion and practice of serving steeped in modern Christian practice, at least in the culture I am a part of and even promoted for almost two decades. I’ll explain in a moment. First a little background.

For most of my time as a pastor, I spent it being responsible for what we in the church leadership industry call “laity involvement.” In layman’s terms, it’s the strategy of getting people to volunteer. I spent countless hours reading and learning from “experts” and key leaders of large organizations, predominantly churches of course, to learn the secrets of getting people to donate their time towards the advancement of the organization I was building, because an organization is only as strong as it’s volunteers (I was taught and have since confirmed over two decades that to be the case). I learned the significance of shoulder tapping and over communication. I learned about the materials to be covered in the strategically created classes, all structured to get volunteers to get involved and serve. By industry metrics, the teams I was a part of were wildly successful., relatively speaking, of course. In some cases, we were off the charts successful. This isn’t to brag in any way. Just simply trying to reinforce how much I bought hook line and sinker all the tricks of the trade of building a high functioning volunteer culture.

A significant part of the strategy, I’d even say a nonnegotiable part, that I and many others employed, was helping people find where they fit best. Factors such as spiritual gifts and personality are at the top of the list when employing this process. All of this is good and I’m a proponent of such tools. However, I have found that what always seems to happen is the path typically leads to where the individual is led to serve where they feel most comfortable. If you don’t like being seen, let’s find a place for you to serve behind the scenes. Don’t like kids? Well let’s keep you clear of the toddlers wing. The strategy works real hard, perhaps unintentionally so, at finding the place where you feel most comfortable serving. Is this really the model of serving that Jesus displayed? Now I’m aware that this sounds extremely nitpicky. Is this even a problem? Why would I bring this up at all? I acknowledge that people serving where they are comfortable is better than them not serving at all. For them, as well as the organization. However, if you know me, it’s no shock that I find weird hills to die on and there’s no rant I won’t entertain. Perhaps this is no different. But entertain me for a moment if you will.

Recently, when thinking about the significance of the birth of Jesus, it dawned on me that comfort was not even a consideration when the Son of God stepped out of heaven and into humanity some 2000 plus years ago. Think about it. Although he never stopped being God for his 33 years on earth, He did trade the glory of heaven for residence here on earth as fully human. At the moment of conception, He was instantly in the birth sac as a fetus in the womb of Mary. He traded the throne of heaven for a stone trough filled with hay as he layed wrapped in cloth meant for newborn sheep. He then spent 33 years as a human struggling in every way a human could. Consider the time in history. This was long before the comfort of central air and heat, the self driving car (thanks Tesla), or any of the modern comforts we enjoy today. If comfort was a consideration, perhaps he would have come at a time and location less primitive, and not the backwood rural lamb factory town in the first century (how poetic). If comfort was a consideration, why not be born into an elite family that could offer the best comforts of the day regardless of the century? Instead, He was born into a poor and humble family. Consider that compared to the comforts King Solomon enjoyed growing up as the son of a king. Further, how comfortable was the last day of the life of Jesus? Betrayal. Beaten. Crucified. All to serve the greatest need of humanity. Does that sound like, “serve where you’re comfortable?

This serving was modeled by his disciples as well. Famously, all of his followers died horrific deaths while serving the kingdom, except for John, who spent his last years in prison on Patmos. This doesn’t sound like “serve where you’re most comfortable” either. Then there’s Paul, who found himself in prison for service to the church. His approach was that if he was released, “good, as I’ll reach more. If I remain, good, I’ll reach more.” Notice that comfort is not even a consideration when Paul is figuring out how he will serve those around him. Therefore, should we be promoting comfort when considering where a volunteer should serve?

I want to be clear. I am not attacking the strategy of helping people find where they fit best for serving. To the contrary, I’m still a proponent. Given the choice between a person serving only where they are comfortable and not serving at all, I am convinced the best way is them serving in comfort. Perhaps churches should still offer a pathway for serving in comfort. However, to the Christian who wants to mimic the behavior of Jesus and His first century followers, the best way is to serve whenever and wherever needed, regardless of comfort, and we are assured many times in scripture that when following Jesus, serving will lead us into discomfort. The actual language used is suffering.

So the next time you feel the nudge towards an act of service, and your inclination is to resist because “you’re not comfortable in that area,” do it anyway. You will look more like Jesus than if you don’t. Merry Christmas.