Day 16: Serving One Another in Love

Introduction: The Job Description vs. The Family Chore

In the working world, everything is about the job description. You have a list of duties, a title, and a set of expectations. If someone asks you to do something outside that list, what’s the first thought? “That’s not my job.” We stay in our lane. We do what we’re paid to do, what we get credit for, what looks good on our performance review.

Now think about your family at home. Does your son have a “job description” for being a son? Do you have one for being a husband or a wife? No! When the trash is overflowing, you don’t check a manual to see whose responsibility it is. You see a need, and because you love your family, you take out the trash. You do it because you’re part of the family, not because you’re trying to get a promotion.

So let me ask you this: When you look at the church, do you see a corporation with job descriptions, or do you see a family with chores?

Scripture: Mark 10:45 (ESV) – “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Devotional

We need a re-alignment of what it means to serve. The world serves for status. The world serves to get ahead, to be seen, to build a resume. But that is not the Gospel! We are called to an extreme, counter-cultural, upside-down kind of service. We don’t serve to get a position; we serve from a position of love, because we are already sons and daughters of the King.

And if you want a picture of that, look no further than our scripture for today. The Son of Man—the King of kings and Lord of lords—didn’t come demanding to be served. He came to serve. Let that sink in for a minute. The God of the universe wrapped a towel around his waist, got down on his knees, and washed the filthy feet of his disciples. He took on the lowest, most thankless job imaginable.

So here’s the gut-check question: If Jesus did that, what possible act of service is beneath you?

Is cleaning the church toilets beneath you? Is watching crying babies in the nursery beneath you? Is stacking chairs in an empty room when no one is watching beneath you? We get so caught up in wanting the “important” jobs—the ones on the stage, the ones with a title—that we miss the heart of Jesus. His heart is found in the towel and the basin.

True biblical service is seeing a need and meeting it, without fanfare and without expecting a “thank you.” It is an act of war against the pride that lives in every single one of our hearts. It’s the invisible, thankless, gritty work that holds a spiritual family together. Are you willing to get your hands dirty for the sake of the family? Because that’s where you’ll find the heart of the King.

Additional Scripture for Meditation

Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV): “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Galatians 5:13 (ESV): “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
John 13:14-15 (ESV): “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.”

Reflection

Gut Check: Be brutally honest with yourself. When you serve in the church, is there a part of your heart that is secretly hoping for recognition or a pat on the back?
Think of the last time you served in a way that was completely unseen and unthanked. How did that feel compared to serving in a more public role?
How does the image of Jesus washing Peter’s feet completely shatter any excuse you might have for feeling like some tasks are “beneath” you?

Practical Application

Take on the Unseen Job: This week, intentionally look for a need in our church that no one ever gets credit for. Show up early to help set up. Stay late to clean up. Do it quietly and tell no one.
Serve a Servant: Find someone in our church who serves faithfully every single week in a thankless role (nursery, tech booth, cleaning team). This week, make it your mission to serve them. Bring them their favorite coffee, send them a text of encouragement, or offer to fill in for them so they can have a break.
Ask the Right Question: Instead of waiting for a job to be posted, find a ministry leader this week and ask them this simple question: “Where is there a need that I can fill?” Be ready to say yes, no matter how small the task.

Prayer

Father, forgive me for my pride. Forgive me for wanting a position more than I want a towel and a basin. Forgive me for looking for recognition from men instead of looking for opportunities to love Your family. Lord, crush the part of me that thinks any act of service is beneath me. Give me the heart of my Savior, who came not to be served, but to serve. Show me where the needs are, and give me the joy of meeting them for Your glory alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.