Stop Making It About You

I've been thinking about how we've completely twisted the idea of service. We post our volunteer hours on social media, expect thank you notes for our generosity, and somehow make our acts of kindness all about us. Jesus would probably laugh if it weren't so tragic.

Here's what's uncomfortable: real service isn't glamorous. It's cleaning up someone else's mess without getting credit. It's listening to your coworker complain for the third time this week instead of scrolling through your phone. It's choosing the late shift so your teammate can pick up their kid from school.

We've made serving people this grand, noble thing when most of the time it's just showing up when it's inconvenient. It's putting down your agenda for someone else's needs. The barista who remembers your order, the IT person who doesn't make you feel stupid, the friend who brings soup when you're sick without posting about it.

Jesus didn't serve people to build his personal brand. He washed feet because they were dirty. He fed crowds because they were hungry. No ulterior motives, no expecting anything back.

What if we stopped trying to be great servants and just served? What if we helped people without keeping score? The world doesn't need more Christian celebrities. It needs more Christians who'll take out the trash without anyone noticing.