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"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10

Have we lost the art of servanthood? Have we allowed the world to twist, pull, corrupt, and change the definition of a word originally intended to mean a demonstration; a beautiful outpouring of our love for each other expressed as a devoted waiting upon? Have we forgotten who it is we ultimately serve; who our master is or are we weighted down under personal feelings and columns filled with tallies of perceived slights and offenses that allow the muddied messy church to obscure the true freedom of othercentered serving?

Servanthood is not synonymous with slavery. We are as liberated as one dwelling on this cursed earth can be. We have been ransomed, a blood price was paid, and we are no longer living in bondage; no longer in chains. Our Savior, the ultimate servant (Mark 10:45), poured out His grace as He hung on that tree along with abundant faith and love (1 Timothy 1:14) that we might glorify God through selfless service to others in an expression of deep love and shared grace.

Rediscover servanthood. Believe you are the vessel, the clay jar, that carries the most precious treasure, Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:7) and choose to share it through serving without any expectation of something in return, without feeling like you are lowering yourself, without allowing encumberances of life to interfere; without holding back pieces of yourself. Serve others with whatever gift the Holy Spirit has given and in His power love one another (John 13:34) and the slights that were once so glaring will fade (1 Peter 4:8).

The following article offers a peek into reluctant serving and how the Holy Spirit empowers and changes us: 

Confessions of a Reluctant Servant by Christina Fox

On the same night he was to sacrifice his life for the sins of his people, Jesus washed his disciples' feet. God incarnate, the second person of the Trinity, Jesus the Messiah, bent down and washed the filth and muck off of the same feet of those who would soon run away in fear when the authorities came to arrest him. He then instructed them to follow his example: "You also should do just as I have done to you" (John 13: 14-15). He "emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men . . . he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death" (Phil. 2:5-8).

Service makes us uncomfortable and empties us of pride and self-exaltation.

For this reluctant servant, I had to face the truth that when my heart refuses to serve the body, I am in some way mocking the service of Christ himself. When I say a task isn't appropriate for me to do, I am saying that I am better than my master. And when I limit my service for the sake of the kingdom to only what makes me comfortable, I am saying that Christ and his body just isn't worth the effort.

Continue reading here: Confessions of a Reluctant Servant | The Gospel Coalition