There are some pretty nasty words in the dictionary these days, even more that we create on what seems like a daily basis. You may be able to think of 10 right off the top of your head, or 5, but what about just one?
What is the MOST offensive word in the human language?
Since there’s so much persecution in the world, you may think the most offensive word is gay, or Christian, or God. Those groups of people definitely see hatred. They are definitely persecuted. What about racism. It’s very present in our day and age. Truth be told, there are a lot of offensive words in the human language, but I’ve found ONE, this one, to be the most offensive. Say it and your shamed. Say it and you’ve obviously been ‘brainwashed’ or ‘one of THOSE Christians.’ Say it and you better check your religion. Say it and you’re not Biblical.
Anytime I say it or tell others to do it (GASP!) I’m automatically seen as a horrible person. In our culture, we are so selfish. It’s all about US. What’s in it for me has it’s own acronym (WIIFM), did you know that?
The most offensive word in the human language is “serve.”
Tell others that Jesus came to earth NOT to BE served but to serve, and they have no problem with that. It’s all good and fine to serve, as long as it’s someone else. It’s okay when others serve us.
In fact, we pay a lot of money to be served. We go to a nail salon and have someone else do our nails. We get mani’s and pedi’s. We go to the hair salon and have someone do our hair. We pay to sit in a chair at the mall that vibrates to relieve stress, or go to a massage therapist, a chiropractor. I’m pretty sure in the past year, you’ve been seen by a doctor at least once. You pay extra to have the pizza guy deliver your pizza, right? Or the newspaper that magically appears on your front porch every morning.
That’s okay. It’s okay when someone else is serving us, we’ll even pay to have someone serve us.
BUT we are TOO GOOD to serve others. That is beneath us, right?
WHY?
One of my GREATEST JOYS and purpose in my life is to serve those around me. I am IN LOVE with serving others. Does that make me weak? Do you read my story of how I was homeless and how God literally made me a rock star and I’m weak? Does it make me less of a woman?
Does it make me a loser? No!
A doctor serves his patients. Is he less of a man? No!
Your children’s teachers serve your kids. Does that make them freaks? No!
You respect them for it. It’s opposite of what the world says, but you respect those who serve you!
Wanna earn respect? Serve others!
I guarantee you that every day you already serve too. You serve your family, you serve your kids meals, you serve in your church, you serve. It’s just not called that in today’s world. We are not allowed to say that word. We can say, “I helped them.” But mention the word serve and it all goes downhill.
Why is serve such a bad word???? Jesus, King of the whole entire world, came to Earth and served. He served His people day and night, He serves His people now by taking care of them, providing for them. We are not God, He is. Why is it okay for Him to serve and not us?
Pride! Our whole culture is so self-seeking, it’s disgusting. Let’s call sin for what it is, shall we. Pride is sin. It’s one of the 7 things God hates and no matter who you are, you have some pride in you, we ALL do, myself included. We are ALL human. We all mess up, we all fall short.
Did you know that the earlier manuscripts of the Bible say “slave.” We are Christ’s SLAVES. But, due to our culture hacking that word and making it disgusting, the translations now say “servant” and now in our culture today, even “servant” is a 4-letter-bad-word.
What’s next? Change the Bible from “servant” to “help”? We’re not God’s helper. I assure you He is fully capable to do things without our “help.” No, we are His slave. He bought us, He owns us. We take up our cross, die to ourselves, and serve Him. That’s what being a Christian is about. It’s not JUST about all the love and fluff, while being a Christian IS about love, it’s also about service. To God, to others, and for FREE. There absolutely MUST be balance there.
I’m okay with being God’s slave. I’m okay with being His servant. Call it whatever you want, I’d do anything, short of sin, to get into the kingdom of Heaven, and that means taking the Bible and God at His Word. Coming to the FOOT of the Cross, in humility on HIS terms. He asks I be His slave. He asks that I obey Him. He says that He bought my life with a price, His life. He made me, I’m His. His FREE gift to me was dying on the cross and in return, I JOYFULLY and GLADLY give my life to Him.
Listen, if you have an issue with the word servant, if you don’t like the thought of being someone else’s servant, then you might want to take that up with Christ. If you are Christian, you may want to ask Him why you have such a problem with it. Ask Him to seek and search your heart and show you if there’s anything there that prevents you from being who He has called you to be.
If you are not saved, I invite you to get to know HIS definition of servant. It’s NOT the same definition the world gives. It doesn’t make you any less of a human to be of service to someone. I think NO less of my garbage man than I do of Bill Gates. The world may, but I don’t. The garbage truck driver serves others. Bill Gates serves himself. If anything, I think more of my truck driver!!!!!!
My prayer for each and every one of us, myself included, is that we always have a sense of service to others, whether it be our husbands, our kids, our family, or that guy down the street we don’t know.
I tell you plainly, the thing that makes me most happy in this life is not who I share it with, its who I get to serve. Every day I sacrifice my time and my life to write this blog for you. As a single mom, there are a gazillion other things I could be doing, but I feel led to serve you in this way. Just because I have a blog and you don’t, doesn’t mean you can’t serve. There are a myriad of ways to serve. There is no greater joy than being like Christ. In the same way, there is no greater joy than serving others. Don’t be a part of our culture that makes it into a bad word!
Free Printable
Download the Free Serving Others Printable Templates here.
Assignment: Think about all the people in your life that serve you. Your garbage truck driver, the lady at your nail salon, the person who walks your dog, your housekeeper, your children’s teachers, the person who built your home, your Pastor, your doctor and nurse, the chef and waitstaff when you visit a restaurant, the list goes on and on.
After you’ve made a list of every one in your life that serves you, do three things:
1) Make a list of everyone in whom you serve…your kids, your husband, etc. How does it compare to how many people serve you and should you serve more?
2) Think about how you’ve truly thanked those who serve you or how you COULD thank them.
3) Be more aware of service, both in the people that serve you and in whom you serve, whether paid or unpaid. Think of people in terms of people. When you go to that restaurant, your waiter is not just a worker, or someone who brings you food, she/he is a real, breathing human being with thoughts, feelings, dreams, and desires.
One of the greatest shames in our culture is that we are not more aware of the people who serve us. We shove them aside, blow them off, we ignore them. WHY? It’s just mean. Every time I go to a restaurant or a store or anywhere else, I ALWAYS ask how THEIR day is going. Look at them in the eyes. Let the person checking you out at the store know you know they are a person. It urks me to no end that we, as a collective society, don’t do this more. I know we don’t because when I do it, they look at me like I’m psychotic. What is this lady on crack? What’s wrong with her? Some automatically think I want something. That’s what our culture is training them to think. WHY?
Please, I implore you to listen to these words, impress them on your heart. You may not be able to change the world, but you CAN change your community. You CAN change that store workers’ day! You have the power with your words and actions to help others. To let them know you care. To shine Christ’s love on them. Use it!
In keeping the comments positive, how has this article affected you? Do you find it easy to dismiss those who serve you? When you are super busy, do you take the time to address people who serve you when you meet them? How can you serve others in need more? How can you be more aware of those that serve you? Do you have favorite Bible verse Scriptures about serving others?
