Better to Serve

[Wyatt Webb]

It is better to give than to receive. This is the common proverb passed around by parents trying to remind their children to not become greedy on a holiday surrounded with materialism. Of course, many of those parents probably don't realize that this comes from Acts 20:35 where Paul is quoting Jesus. This is a spiritual truth about life that we inherently know as we mature. But, I would argue that giving gifts once a year is not enough.

I'm reminded of the donation cards I get from many charities around this time of year. They alwasy have a few options for me to donate. There's the one-time gift and the monthly pledge. That one-time gift seems easier because you can see if you have it in your budget now, send off the check, and then never think about it again. The pledge is tougher because it's a commitment. It means promising someone money now that you won't be asked to deliver until several months from now and your confidence in having that money then is fuzzier. Or, worse, you're not sure you want to commit that money to a charity when you might simply find something later that you want more.

I submit that giving at Christmas is like that one-time gift. It's a great thing, but it's not a commitment. I believe we need to learn to serve. That's a commitment. That's a long-term promise when the future is unsure.

So, along with learning to enjoy giving during Christmas, I urge you to learn to enjoy serving and serving with a commitment. Serve God by serving your brothers and sisters. Make promises that you'll have to trust God to be able to keep.

"[...] But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15b

Wyatt