Service: The Reward For Serving Others

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does.

Ephesians 6:7-8

I met Bill quite by chance, or at least I thought so at the time. I could tell he was living in a hard place; it was in his eyes. So conspicuous was the agony that when I would shut my own eyes, I would see his. I could barely concentrate on anything else for several days. One morning we had a cup of coffee together, and God used the time to minister to us both.

His wife had divorced him, he had lost his job, he couldn’t find meaningful work, his self-image was shot, he was depressed, and his Christian friends had dropped him.

He deeply appreciated the time I spent with him, then and over the next several months. All those months I could tell he was watching me closely, to see how I lived, to find out who I really was, to see if I was for real. In short, he wanted to see if I was as good as my first impression.

I am not. I am weak. If someone observes for too long, my “other” foot will protrude. I cannot bear such close scrutiny. I will disappoint everyone in my life—usually sooner than later. It is the same with you, and with Bill, and with all of us.

Before too long I let Bill down. I didn’t last as the warm, interested friend. What Bill couldn’t see, of course, was that I had problems of my own, priorities left unattended in my own life, human frailties and weaknesses of my own.

Two Problems, Same Solution

Two great problems in serving others are both problems of human nature, of focusing on our relationship with people instead of our relationship with Christ. The first problem is that people will expect too much of you; and the second, you will expect too much of them. Both of these problems are problems of unrealistic expectations. Expectations must be focused on Christ, not each other. He is the only One who will consistently not let us down.

The milk of human sympathy will undernourish your soul. No amount of human gratitude will properly compensate your effort to improve the human condition. When we focus on serving the person, we are inevitably disappointed. And what’s more, we will disappoint them. Serving people for the sake of their gratitude is a guaranteed formula for disappointment. Just when you begin to feel good about your labors, someone lets you down. Or, more likely, someone will expect too much from you and accuse you of letting them down. Either way, your destiny is to be terribly discouraged.

Why do Christians shrink away from serving others with zeal? Every time the Christian gives of himself in service and the recipient still isn’t satisfied, his spirit withers a bit more. We wonder, “Why bother?” The ingratitude is harsh. The issue is to clarify why we serve, not whimper over ingratitude from whom we serve. Our motive must be to please God, not men.

The key is the personal relationship with Christ. The focus must not be on serving others or on being served. The focus must be on Jesus, on becoming so absorbed in the relationship with Him that every other thing is a response to our relationship. We don’t serve men; we serve God. Have no expectations of men. Focus on the personal relationship with Him, and there will be an overflow available for others.

The Reward

Look to Christ alone for gratitude. If you serve Christ, then you will remember to look to Him for your approval, not to the milk of human sympathy. He will reward you for serving others; in fact, He is the reward.

When someone feels you let them down, you can surrender that relationship to Christ. You are serving Him only; He will give you the strength to serve that same person more. You may want to flee from the ingratitude—the insatiable demands of other people—but Christ will empower you to be a servant if you take on His attitude. It can only come by devotion to the personal relationship.

The personal relationship with Christ is the oasis in the desert of human relations. When people begin to wear you down, let it remind you that you are not in the overflow. It is time to drink of Christ.

Are you beat down because your service has not been appreciated? Have you been looking for the milk of human sympathy? Go to Him and be filled to overflow. Then you can serve with gratitude. Your expectations will be supernatural, not natural.

I SURRENDER

Father, I have been discouraged by people. They have demanded much and given little in return. I confess I have done my good deeds for them instead of You. I have also let people down. Help me to heal the wounds which come from the unrealistic expectations others have of me. Remove the alternating guilt and anger I feel toward those who demand much but give little. Help me to do my service for Your approval only. Amen.