Perhaps Lent is an ideal time to reflect on how and why we are serving.
Yesterday was a miserable, dreary, rainy day. It was also a Sunday. Getting out of bed took some discipline. I could have come up with a hundred reasons not to have gotten up and attended church, but I didn’t. I got up and I went.
The pastor reminded us that we had to make a tough decision to attend in the rain. We all chuckled. But, then he reminded us that throughout church history, people had been killed for all kinds of decisions relating to their faith.
The thought occurred to me that Christianity is not a spectator faith. It never has been and Jesus has always been a polarizing figure. While most of us won’t be called to physically give up our lives for following Jesus, we are all called to fully serve and participate. Yes, getting out of bed and attending a church service is a start, but then what?
When people join churches they seem to be in one of two camps. They either participate in everything or they participate in nothing. So, we often find a small group of people involved in many church activities and other groups simply attending church and maybe Sunday School.
But, here’s what happens; the word gets out that there are certain people who will agree to help with whatever they are asked and so they get asked to serve again and again and again. They sometimes get very tired and discouraged and sometimes they end up leaving the church altogether.
I kind of think of it as a relay race at a track meet. In that kind of event, each runner runs for a little while and then they hand the baton off to another member of the team and they run for a little while and then they hand it off. Everyone has a leg to run. Everyone has a part to play. Everyone is a part of the team. Everyone’s participation matters.
If one runner drops the baton or doesn’t do their part, the entire race is severely hindered.
Perhaps Lent is a good time to do a little service soul-searching. The season is meant for us to intentionally take time and make the effort to grow closer to God. Maybe it’s a great time to ask ourselves in what ways we are serving.
Are we serving at all? Are we serving in the same way we have for the past ten plus years? Should we prayerfully seek a different way to serve? Would a new type of service help us to grow closer to Jesus in our faith walk?
If we are serving in many places, perhaps we should prayerfully ask God if we are too thinly stretched. Are we serving because we are called or because we couldn’t say “no?” If we are serving for the wrong reasons, we may be taking someone else’s slot who could really grow doing that particular service.
As I observe Lent this year, it’s more about intentionally drawing closer to God than giving up some kind of vice, not that there’s anything wrong with that. I just feel like it’s really important not to make the season about us and what we can or can’t accomplish.
It’s supposed to be about deepening our faith walk and I think that examining how we do or don’t serve and making changes may be worth a look.
What do you think? How are you observing Lent? I’d love to hear from you.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂