Tom Barnard

“For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served

but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.”

(Matthew 20:28 NLT)

“I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know:

the only ones among you who will be really happy

are those who will have sought and found how to serve.”

Albert Schweitzer

Have you ever wondered where and when the concept of service to others was born? Sometime in the early twentieth century? With the creation of the Peace Corps? Hardly. The concept of service to others is at least as old as the words Jesus spoke to his disciples in John 20, and its principles can be traced to the Old Testament.

In his first epistle to the Church, John wrote:

“We know what real love is because Christ gave up his life for us.

And so we also ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters.”

(1 John 3:16)

And anything short of that! In the 13^th chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus said to his disciples:

“And since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet,

you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow.”

(John 13:14-15)

Perhaps it is time to dust off the old hymnal and sing all 5 verses of “The Servant Song,” by Richard Gillard (Scripture in Song, Maranatha Music, 1977). It rings true during all the seasons of the year, but especially between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I like the second verse best of all:

We are pilgrims on a journey; We are brothers on the road.

We are here to help each other—Walk the mile and bear the load.

Heavenly Father, I need to put that song into practice in my personal life. It is so easy to be so caught up with work, family, church, and community that I lay aside your mandate for me to serve others. I don’t reach out far beyond the circle of my family, especially at this time of year, but I need to do that. Point my attention to those around me who need a word of encouragement and a deed of kindness. Push me to pursue opportunities to “walk the mile and bear the load” with someone else. In Your Son’s Name I pray. Amen.