40 Days of Community, 17 May 2009

We Are Called To Serve Together—“Where There Is Love”

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13 "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
John 13:12-15 (NIV)

Definition of Success

Success. How do you define success? Do we define success by comparing ourselves with others in the following criteria?

• The social position I hold
• The occupation I have
• The amount of money I have
• The level of beauty I have maintained
• The strength I have

These markers of success are not invalid in God’s eyes but it is important that we do not pursue them wholeheartedly all of our lives.

God’s Definition of Success

How does God define success? In John 13:12-15, God’s idea of a successful person is a servant – Jesus is the ultimate example of a true servant. Jesus inspires us to adopt a posture of serving others. Jesus stoops to a posture of servanthood and washes His disciples’ feet. He is always serving someone or helping someone.

Serving One Another

What are the characteristics of a good servant?

The list is endless: considerate, kind, helpful, sacrificial, teachable…

How do we go about serving one another that pleases God?

First, let us begin with our earthly family. Our immediate nuclear family is the first church God has planted in our lives. We can serve God by serving those He has entrusted us with. A godly husband’s job description is to love his wife (1 Corinthians 13). A godly wife respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:33) A godly parent serves his or her children’s physical and emotional needs. (Ephesians 6:4) A godly child seeks to honour, serve and care for his or her parents. (Ephesians 6:1-3)

Second, the church is our eternal spiritual family. We are going to live with this family forever. Let us learn to serve and help one another, and carry one another’s burdens.

A Testimony

Here is a touching story of Janet, a church volunteer of mine. Janet loved the Lord deeply by serving God, her husband, her family and her church community. She was the epitome of hospitality, always looking out for others; always serving those who were unnoticed, tired or lonely.

Later on, she developed cancer and did not get better. Her husband left his job to take care of her in her last days. As Janet grew increasingly immobile, her husband had to care for her most basic need, such as cleaning her up after she soiled herself. Janet was so apologetic each time this happened. But her husband always responded with this phrase:

有 爱 不 会 臭 (yǒu ài bù huì chòu)

The phrase meant “Nothing was too dirty for him,” because he loved her so dearly. Where there is love, nothing is too difficult.

At Janet’s funeral, big crowds turned up to pay their last respect, showing the extent of her ministry to others. Janet’s life had touched so many people. Her love began with her husband, her family and extended into her larger spiritual family.

It moves me to tears each time I tell Janet’s story. Her story is reflective of Christ’s story. Going to the cross to die for our sins was certainly not an emotionally-appealing move for Jesus, yet He still did what He was called to do: to serve His people out of the depths of His amazing and boundless love.

To die for oneself
To relinquish one’s rights
To give for the good of the other
Jesus saved us in this way
How much more then must we serve one another?

- By Rev Wendy Laura Watson

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