For many of us, the more we serve, the more we put into the various ministries we’re a part of, the more we spend our waking hours worrying about how well things are doing; the more we find ourselves getting burned out, exhausted, and ready to call it quits. But we persevere, because our service is what’s expected of us, right?
Some of us even take on more responsibilities than we can reasonably manage at the moment, and we often say “It’s okay, because I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” And if that’s happening, that’s probably the ultimate form of service.
But sometimes, it’s still a bit too much, and we find ourselves tired after a day of church, or a night of fellowship, or a prep meeting for an event. If, in Matthew 11, we hear “Come to me, all you who are wear and burdened, and I will give you rest,” why do we sometimes feel like we could’ve gotten more rest if we’d just taken an extra hour of sleep instead of waking up to serve?
All of these ideas and questions have been bouncing in my head for a few months now, and I’m finally starting to see why I find Sundays to be the most tiring day of the week. It’s mostly because I’m often trying to serve without Jesus.
Consider the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10. Martha was indeed loyal and vigilant in her perceived service, preparing meals and everything else Jesus and his followers would need. But Jesus rebukes her when she asks for help. “You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Or, consider the disciples in Mark 9, who couldn’t cast out a demon, even though they were the closest to Jesus, his first followers, the people who thought they ought to be able to cast out at least a single spirit. The 9 disciples who did not go up with Jesus to pray had tried everything they could; they probably used their best gifts, skills, efforts, and talents, and none of that was enough. Jesus’ answer? “This kind can only come out by prayer.”
The common thread between these two stories is that those who were frustrated or unable to serve properly were relying on themselves. It was by their power that the work was being done, right? And Jesus would be there to witness it, and maybe smile and tell them “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Well, that’s not what God asks of us, and it’s not what Jesus did in those scenarios.
Instead, our service must be done with complete reliance on God. Through prayer, quiet quality time with God, and Bible reading, we’re supposed to depend on God making things happen, because nothing happens without Him.
How often do you find yourself in this place? Have you ever said that you’re serving so much, that you’ve had difficulty carving out a quiet time in your daily schedule? Or have you heard your friends say that they’re tired of what they’re doing on a weekly basis? As the author of Serving Without Sinking asks, “Do you need Jesus? Do you pray before you serve? If something had to give, which would it be?”
At a more urgent level, are we going into this missions trip with a focus on ourselves serving, or are we focusing on serving (and relying on) Jesus? As the weeks before we leave drop into the frighteningly low numbers, I hope we all spend the proper time aligning ourselves with God’s will, and that we will stop relying on our own strength. Commit some time before every act of service you do, asking for guidance and the strength to do what needs to be done.
