Dec 84 min read

Rise Up and Serve

The response to someone’s goodness is gratitude, and if you’re deeply grateful you’ll feel encouraged to do something for the person in return.

Many people like myself don’t particularly like gift shopping, and one of the reasons is that oftentimes there is an unspoken measurement of the value that almost makes it feel transactional. It’s the reason why so many people feel hurt in this season's favourite workplace game of ‘earthlings and angels’. Someone will buy what they consider to be a really nice gift for their ‘earthling’ but feel undervalued and slighted with the gift they received. Gift-giving is as peculiar and unique as the persons and personalities that give and receive them. You may love what you bought for the person but that gift may not be to their taste. This doesn’t just apply to co-workers or acquaintances, it also happens in close relationships. You feel that the person ought to know you better, ought to know what you like, and whether for lack of funds or lack of thought, you just don’t like the gift. Frankly much lying then ensues as one has to pretend to like a gift they do not like so as not to hurt the gift-giver’s feelings. Do you see why gift-giving could be torturous for some of us! Truth be told, I just say what I would like if I know someone intends to give a gift.

Nonetheless, when someone receives an unexpected gift they like or feel was thoughtful, they are grateful. It’s natural to want to reciprocate when you feel seen, understood, and cared for. The law of nature says that we imitate the environment we are exposed to, hence sayings such as 'you can take the pig out of the mud but not the mud out of the pig' and the like. You receive love then you'll imitate love.

Since the notoriety of Jesus’s healing had spread like wildfire throughout the land people knew that healing came along with His person and presence. He healed the blind men and commanded them to tell no one and yet, the significance and magnitude of the gift urged a response from the men. The once blind men did the opposite of staying quiet. They shouted and shared what Jesus did to everyone who’d listen (Matthew 9).

The goodness of one person to another instigates a response, which at the primary level is gratitude. On the next level receiving a nice gift causes the person to feel compelled to tell or show everyone what they received or what the person did. Then the most meaningful response to a great gift, yet the humblest of responses to underserved goodness, is service. True leaders who genuinely give (time, care, expertise) don’t need to ask people to follow, because people will follow where they are fed.

Husbands don’t need to demand submission from their wives, because service is a natural and wholehearted response to genuine love that is gifted without condition and cap. When my husband loves me as wholesomely as he does, going above and beyond in every way, how could I not serve him. If you give someone a gift and you must ask them to say thank you, know that it was not well received or appreciated. In the same way, if someone needs to ask for submission then it is likely that what is given or the way it is given is not acceptable or appreciated.

And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. (Matthew 8:14-15)

Peter’s mother received life from Jesus because a fever was fatal in those days. Jesus touched her hand and shared the best gift, one that money could not buy. The scripture says, and "she rose up began serving him". She rose up and surrendered, submitted, and served. She was a recipient of undeserved love and favour; so without coaxing or compulsion, she lay herself before Him and served Him.

For all the good things that God through his son Jesus has done for us, we must serve Him. That’s why God won’t ever force your ‘yes’. Because of all He has done for us our ‘yes’ must be freely given. God’s goodness leads men to repentance (Romans 2:4), not the fear of hell or religious badgering. His plain everyday goodness, like a warm bed at night, clean water in your tap, and a watercloset in your house, and not under a shed in the backyard. If you want to know whether these are good gifts, try imagining life without them and see how you'd feel about it.

The crazier the world becomes the more I ponder why so many do not see just how good God has been and is being to them/us.

Mary washed Jesus’s feet and dried them with her hair. It was the type of service that warranted her physical posture (on bended knee) and her heart posture to be prostrate in service to God. So full was she of all that she needed, that worship and service followed.

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Rise up and serve God. For all the good things that he’s done and given to us, our response must be serving Him.