When Serving is Beneath You

Recent Headlines from the Babylon Bee…

Man Only Serving in Church Sound Booth to Avoid Fellowship Time

Study: Effectiveness Of Prayer Directly Linked To Number Of Times You Say ‘Father God’.

The Babylon Bee, a satirical website that shines the spotlight on modern Christian cultural quirks, owns me with their tongue in cheek humor.

Recently I bought their book, How to be a Perfect Christian, for my husband’s Father’s Day gift. I mean, he is so close to being perfect, I thought this book might just get him there (a little more satire if you didn’t pick up on that :).

One of the areas the book takes direct aim at is Christian “service”. To quote, “We’ll provide an in-depth analysis of each [service ministry] in order to help you select the one that will bring you the most glory while requiring the least effort.” (p.83)

Church service has become quite an enigma in our culture.

Our motive for serving often comes from a place of “look at what I am doing for others”.  It seems if our serving doesn’t create a great social media opportunity for a tweet or post, then it is just beneath us.  That is so far removed from the model of servanthood presented to us in the Bible.

And I hate to admit it, but I think I am guilty.

I found a vivid of example of this in the pages of Numbers – yes Numbers. I know it is the graveyard of “reading through your Bible in a year” plan because of all of the unpronounceable names. But hang with me here.

In Numbers 16, a scene unfolds about a man named Korah (and some of his buddies) who decided his role in serving God in the tabernacle was just not enough. He felt he was qualified to do much greater things. He led an all out rebellion against God’s chosen servant-leader, Moses.

They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?” Numbers 16:3

Moses’ response was beautiful. Verse 4 tells us “he fell on his face”.  Moses knew something Korah did not. God had asked Moses to serve in such a huge capacity in leading the nation to the promised land that Moses knew he could never do it in his own power.

This oversight of humility was Korah’s fatal mistake. As he observed Moses day-to-day serving God and the people in the wilderness, Korah determined he could do it better in his own strength and ability. After all, they were all holy, right? He wanted to be the one out front with the staff doing all the cool miracles.

We know from a quick survey of scripture that God chooses unlikely people to do huge things for the kingdom. What are God’s criteria for serving Him in big ways? I do see some patterns in His word…

• Be found faithful in small things. “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.” Luke 16:10
• Know that unless God is with you, you will fail. I will look back to Moses for an example here. His posture of falling on his face says it all. And in Exodus, he tells God, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?”
• Check your selfish motives at the door. Our service is for His glory, not ours… so that no man may boast {glory} before God. 1 Corinthians 1:29

If you continue reading Korah’s story in Numbers 16 and 17, you find God did not let his arrogance go unpunished. He paid a huge price for his attitude of thinking his place of service was beneath him. God cannot and will not use people who set their mind on loftier service goals when their motives are purely self-serving. 

So if I ever find myself thinking that any service opportunity is beneath me…just slap me.

But then, remind me that Jesus Himself got up from the head of the table and washed some dirty, disgusting man-feet (John 13). He didn’t think it was beneath Him to serve in this most basic way. It certainly was not a service that would bring Him glory, but served as an unforgettable example of humility.

So here is the sting from the Babylon Bee…beneath every little bit of satire lies a kernel of truth. So when they take aim at the motives of our service, they are really uncovering some ugliness that lies beneath. And though I may laugh and grin as I read it, it also stings my heart with conviction and makes me question the “why” behind my service.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45