God works through and in spite of our weaknesses to fulfill his calling on our lives. This is why Peter, who frequently spoke out of turn and without thinking, could then by the Spirit at work in him preach the sermon found in Acts 2. Through the power of the Spirit at work in us we serve in ways that we are not naturally capable of doing. God gives us spiritual gifts to serve the body. “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10). Rather, he provides everything we need to serve him through his Spirit. He doesn’t give us a task and then expect us to figure out how to do it on our own. As this reluctant servant has learned, God does not call the capable, he makes capable the called. Whatever the reason for your reluctance-be it lack of time, skill, or sleep-God does not expect you to serve out of your own inherent abilities. And when I limit my service for the sake of the kingdom to only what makes me comfortable, I am saying that Christ and his body just isn’t worth the effort. When I say a task isn’t appropriate for me to do, I am saying that I am better than my master. Service makes us uncomfortable and empties us of pride and self-exaltation.įor this reluctant servant, I had to face the truth that when my heart refuses to serve the body, I am in some way mocking the service of Christ himself. he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death” (Phil. He “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. He then instructed them to follow his example: “You also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13: 14-15). God incarnate, the second person of the Trinity, Jesus the Messiah, bent down and washed the filth and muck off of the same feet of those who would soon run away in fear when the authorities came to arrest him. On the same night he was to sacrifice his life for the sins of his people, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. Not only is it hard, but the act of serving can also inconvenience and interrupt our own purposes and plans. It requires putting your own needs aside for someone else. Our church crisis served as a catalyst to push me beyond my own comforts and into exploring the true depths of what servanthood really means. Without a pastor and down a number of families, we were in a situation where either everyone chipped in to do their part, or we would have to shut our doors. Around that time we had a church crisis of sorts. That was about four years ago, and I have been teaching that same class ever since.

What if I made a mess of things? What if I couldn’t manage the class? What if. Trepidation and uncertainty filled my heart. Resolved to my fate, I stepped into the classroom.

Confessions of a reluctant messiah