The Act of "Serve"ice in 300 Words

“Service,” in its simplest form, is “the action of helping or doing work for someone.”  Based on this definition, it implies that service is not for one’s own benefit, but for that of another.  One of the many blessings of service is that not only is someone’s life being touched, but also is the one doing the service.  It is human nature to help someone else in need.  However, what is so often overlooked is the Biblical background of service.  Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”  In the New Testament, it says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).  This means that one should serve in order to better someone else.  Jesus, Himself, came to serve and not to be served (Matthew 20:28).  He saw the need in the world and served each need with love.  He humbled Himself so others could gain.  This, in its rarest form, is serving.  There is quite a difference between the two words.  The most obvious is that the former is a noun, whereas the latter is a verb.  Service requires one to perform some sort of action or deed, whereas serving requires one to live out an obscure lifestyle, one that is not often seen.  Because of God’s love for His children, we, too, have the instinct to love and to serve one another.  Some people, however, only provide a service.  They do not serve for the betterment of another, nor for God’s divine Kingdom, but they serve to merely accomplish something within one’s self.  It is out of selfish ambition, as opposed to the lifestyle in which God has called His people.  Serving is the physical portion of the word serve.  One cannot provide a service with first serving.  For example, it is impossible to perform the service of helping an elderly cross the street without first serving the elderly, without first physically aiding him or her.  This is living like Jesus.  The result will never be found out without first discovering in each moment with physical ambition of serving Christ.