About serving people…

Matthew 20:26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, (NIV)

Serving people does not always mean we are to please them. Think about the implications of serving or feeding a person's harmful addictions. Trying to serve someone by feeding an addiction can bring disaster to the other person and also to you. Love for others demands we be tough and strong, rather than always being compliant and weak. Others need to know where we stand so they can believe in us and trust us. Serving others requires we help them find and develop what they need on their own. Serving others does not mean we let them become dependent upon us to supply their needs. Serving people in Christ's love and grace, on the most fundamental basis, requires we show others we are all sinners and have the potential to be redeemed by Christ. Others may not always like you if you serve them and give them what they need rather than what they want. However, serving people at their point of need has a greater chance to let others see Christ in you rather than trying to be a pleaser who could care less about the real needs of others.