15. November 2016

I am not your servant. ...Am I?

There are an awful lot of needs in the world. And an awful lot of needs in my house.

Sometimes I’m asked to do something, and my immediate thought is, “I am not your servant.” How many times have I wanted to say this to my husband or children? Not that I don’t love them, but seriously:

When I find a pile of dirty little-boy underwear behind the bed after three weeks of having to do laundry every other day because you can’t find any clean underwear…I am not your servant.

When I have to adjust my well-laid plans to fit your last-minute schedule change…I am not your servant.

When I have to make sure that not a single piece of mushroom or onion has sneaked its way into your spaghetti or you’ll scream…I am not your servant.

Right? Extend this to people outside my home, and I could get really fed up with serving people.

Except. There’s Jesus. You know, the one I worship, the one I call, “Lord,” the one I’ve dedicated my life to? Yes, that very same Jesus.

He said: “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43b-45, ESV)

So.

I guess I am your servant after all.

When you can’t reach the toys you dropped behind the couch yesterday…I am your servant.

When you need my help with something work-related (and not me-related)…I am your servant.

When you’ve let your room get so messy that it’s beyond your ability to clean it…I am your servant.

Don’t get me wrong. There’s a place for teaching our kids to do chores and express gratitude. There’s a place for respectfully asking our husbands for help. There’s a place for setting boundaries with needy people who would prevent us from spending time with other people.

But there’s also a very big place for just being a servant. Not because I am a wife or a mom, but because I am a Christian. And Christians are servants. Just like our Master.