Serve
“Whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Mark 10:43).
Unless we give our lives to a cause greater than ourselves, and unless we pour into the lives of others, we will suffer an inevitable and gradual shift into self-introspection, selfishness, and ultimately despair. Jesus came to serve, and He is our model for life. Later I will talk about our service toward people within our families and everyday lives, but here I mean to emphasize the service inside of your local church and in your community.
It is commonly said that 10 percent of the people do 90 percent of the work in a local church setting. To me, these numbers could be interpreted in a few different ways. For example, maybe numbers like this indicate that a church might be trying to do too much or are trying to scratch a non-existent itch. Still, it is true that many people never discover the joy of serving in their local congregation. Volunteer. Serve. Sign up. You will find great joy and reward in it. Plus chicks dig it.
Additionally, it is good to serve your community somehow in some way. Whether through acts of generosity, such as giving to foster children or supporting single mothers or through acts of mercy where you are actually serving with boots on the ground, deep blessing is found when serving our world. Remember, “religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27). Perhaps you need to go on missions trips to Third World countries or bring meals to a battered women’s shelter, but reaching your world in this way is vital to your consecration. (The No-Nonsense Biblical Man, Ch 4: Your Consecration, pg 79-80)
“This is a book that simply honors and elevates the healthy Christian man. I love that phrase “no-nonsense” because I hear so much absolute nonsense in secular and Christian circles about manhood, marriage, and raising children. I assure you: there is no nonsense in the very direct approach that Pastor Nate uses.”