Who thinks the Christmas season can be a time to easily fall into selfish thinking? …making my to-do lists, my shopping lists, my scheduling, my cooking, my agenda, etc. Let’s see how we can look past our desires and serve others.

^“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:45

Driving around Austin yesterday I was overwhelmed by how many advertisements I saw about products we can use to serve ourselves and make ourselves smarter, skinnier, more popular, more wealthy and more. In addition, the amount of commercials on the radio I heard screaming “all that matters is me” was mind blowing.

This world revolves around self-advancement and self-achievement. It tells us the dream is to get to the point where the world will merely serve us…being served is more important than serving others. This couldn’t be farther from the Gospel! God Himself left perfection to come down and serve us! We are called to be His reflection.

Do you ever wonder how to break the world’s barrier and seek to serve as Christ did? Let’s look at a few simple ways to serve (especially during this Christmas season) and help bring us back to where God desires us to be.

1. Serve other people at meals before you serve yourself. The speed of the world doesn’t easily lend time for this.  But even the mere act of giving other people food at the dinner table before you take it yourself says you view their needs above your own.
2. Meet a need of someone without acknowledgment. It’s easy for the world to creep in when we serve because our flesh wants the attention for it.  Break that barrier by anonymously meeting some needs for other people. This also takes thought and consideration to determine needs.
3. Find something that is merely a “want” for you and give it to someone who it’s a “need” for. We fill our lives with more stuff than we need.  Some of what we already have would bless someone else far beyond how it blesses us.  
4. Serve together. With your family, find a way to serve your community together. Maybe it’s a soup kitchen, maybe it’s a youth program…the options are endless.  Lay down your schedule and fill it with something that blesses others, together as a family.

When listening to the world we miss out on one of the greatest blessings by passing up the opportunity to serve others above ourselves.  Christ came to serve you and me. May we be a reflection of Jesus in who we serve and how we do so.

Camper Corner

Read Mark 10:45.  What was Jesus’ perspective on serving? J.O.Y. can stand for Jesus, Others, You.  We will have great joy when we seek to be a reflection of Jesus by serving others before ourselves.  Today think of a way to put your parents first. What is a way you can be Jesus to them today?