Have you ever gone to a restaurant and the service was superb? Today, my wife and I went to one of our favorite restaurants, Old Chicago. The food was terrific, and once again, the service was remarkable. The waitress knew the menu inside and out, her attitude was unbelievably kind, and her timeliness was right on time. The experience was exactly what Sherrie and I needed to round out a fantastic day with God and others. A day that leads to our following Wonderfully Weird Command: “Be Servant of All.”
Our command sits in Matthew 20:26, where Jesus said, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant (NIV)." I don’t know if our server in the restaurant was a Christian or not, but I do know this; she displayed the traits that reflect what it means to be a great servant. She showed the qualities of alertness, kindness, and availability, characteristics necessary to deliver God’s Goodness in The Delight of the LORD.
The first quality our waitress exhibited was alertness. Alertness is the state of active attention and being watchful. For servants of Christ, this means paying attention to Christ’s menu of his teachings, The Wonderfully Weird Commands, understanding it, and being aware of those needing servicing, a service that delivers the morsels of dignity that feed the soul and adds value to a person’s life.
Another quality our server delivered was kindness. Kindness is a type of behavior marked by acts of generosity, consideration, or concern for others. Unlike a servant working at a Pizzeria, the servant of God delivers these types of manners freely without expecting praise or reward. The recognition and reward come from knowing God’s Good Way, which always gives a natural pay-off when serving life gladly.
The last quality our waitress showed was availability. Availability is giving heart and hands to the job set before us. For the worker of Jesus, it’s a lifestyle rather than a split practice. Availability means knowing needs exist, prioritizing them, and serving those needs well in the LORD. Jesus is the ultimate example of availability. He lived among people who had needs and helped all of them well, “twenty-four seven.” It’s the availability trait that ultimately makes a servant of God great. The Bible says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” Matthew 5:16 (KJV).
Greatness is achieved through serving, serving little things daily as though they were great. Let’s decide to be great by serving the items on the Wonderfully Weird Commands of Christ menu each day. Items in Jesus' servants’ hearts that serve people wholeheartedly. Today, let’s recognize greatness comes through the qualities of alertness, kindness, and availability by helping all in the LORD gladly. Like the waitress at Old Chicago, let’s decide to be great servants, not just for a shift here and there, but for always that benefits everyone well.
With a glad and serving heart,