Why we serve By Ian Murray

​            I don’t know about any of you but for me the hardest part of any thing is getting started. I may leap at an idea whole heartedly when it is first presented, but with no thought to follow through I stumble in the first phases. Take writing this blog for example. When the opportunity to write, this little thing was presented, I was excited. I mean pumped. Especially to write about service, a subject I am entirely and wholly passionate about. But then the time came to write this thing, and let me tell you was it intimidating. All the ideas I had bumping around in my head went right out the window. I had never written a blog before. I don’t even think I had ever read one! So, I sit down to do this and I can’t. I write a little and then I delete it all. And I do this time after time because I was so intimidated by the task at hand I just can’t get started. This I believe to be doubly true for service. We want to jump in and serve God and others we want to make an impact for others BUT then life and our doubts get in the way. We wonder why should we serve, where to go and how to even get started. But let me promise you this once you do you will wonder why it was so hard to get started in the first place.
            As to wondering why we should serve I think I could spend days talking on this subject alone. I think first and biggest reason to serve is that Jesus lives as a servant and encourages his disciples to do the same. In Mark 10:43-45, Jesus tells his disciples “But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant and whoever would be first among you must be slave to all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and gives his life as ransom for many.” This is a stout command from the king of kings however it falls in line with the 2nd greatest commandment “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Mt 22:39. The second reason to serve others is that serving is an act of worship to the Lord Most High. In the book of Acts and in other documentation of early church worship, we see a body of believers gathering together to eat, sing, and worship God. As an extension of this we see early Christians serving each other by sharing food in a time when being a Christian alone was grounds to have all your possessions stripped from you. Not only did they provide for other believers they fed widows and orphans. In Rome, the church went into catacombs and rivers to rescue unwanted children that were legally supposed to be left there as an “abortion.” This while Christians themselves were being persecuted to the extreme. Let’s compare that to our current situation. So with all our favor and blessing, how much more should we serve those around us!
            As for the where and how of serving the great thing about college ministries is that a lot of the guess work is gone. We have staff and students who plan out the places and times for you to get out and serve. There are even people who will drive you and pour into you while you are there. While it may feel like there is little time to serve in college, I promise you that your time cannot be any better spent. I myself and countless numbers of my friends can testify that while we may think we are the ones serving we have been blessed beyond measure by the experience. Therefore, as you ride this roller coaster of a ride called college I hope you take time to serve those around you and give them a moment of peace in Christ.
Blessing in our Father,
Ian

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