SERVANT

Ephesians 2:4—Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

I love Alan. Every Sunday morning he is the first one to drive to Fowler Middle School unload his car full of sound equipment and set everything up for the worship team. When church ends, he is the last to leave, loading the gear back up to take back home. He serves with the heart of a lion and the strength of an elephant. It doesn’t matter what the weather is like, or how hard a week he had at Precision Cast he comes to worship! He plays his guitar with the same enthusiastic zeal. And that ol’ six-string friend was getting pretty worn.

Maggie, another special member of the worship team, accompanied me to Guitar Center where we picked out a Taylor. For those of you who know as much about guitars as I do about Electrical Engineering, Taylors are basically one of the finest guitars you can buy. When the salesmen in the store found out we were buying a Taylor for someone as a gift, their mouths dropped open. This goes beyond cool!

On Sunday morning I had Randy, the custodian, walk into our service after we’d sung one song. “Randy, whatcha got there?” He looked at me and smiled, “Oh just a guitar”. Alan’s eyes started to expand as he noticed the inscription on the black case—TAYLOR! I opened it up and handed Alan the guitar. I don’t even remember what was said. You see, Alan was trying to decide whether to run out of the room or stay. He finally just broke down and wept. The emotion and love was so thick you could melt mushrooms on a steak. We had just experienced the joy of fulfilling a man’s dream. I wish you could have heard the sweet notes that wonderful guitar produced in the hands of its new loving owner. Heck, Alan wouldn’t put it back on the stand when the worship set ended. He carried to his chair and cradled it the whole service.

Now if we in our simple minds, could reward a brother-in-Christ for his faithful service, imagine what God is cooking up for His children who take joy in serving Him daily. Godly servants leave the taste of blessing wherever they go. And our observant Father in heaven doesn’t miss any action down here on earth. So for all you out there who often without thanks, seemingly unnoticed, day after day serve others because you love God--you are the true heroes. Like the song says, “If you want to be great in God’s Kingdom, learn to be a servant of all . . .”

Inspiration
A servant is one who has given up his right to himself to the God Whom he proclaims, a witness to Jesus, i.e., a satisfaction to Jesus Christ wherever he goes.—Oswald Chambers in Studies in the Sermon on the Mount