Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Hey, friend. Welcome to Perspectives into Practice, a place where life's stories meet practical wisdom. Together, we'll explore how faith filled perspectives can transform the way we live, love, and grow. So grab a seat, settle in, and join us on this journey to turn inspiration into action. Let's dive in.
[00:00:28] Hey, friend. Welcome back to Perspectives into Practice. Today we're wrapping up our Serving With Purpose series. And I've got to say, these past two episodes with my friend Angela have been so rich and encouraging and I'm sure that you think the same thing. So in part one, we discussed about discovering the unique gifts that God has given us. We talked about how to use them to serve others. And then in part two, we dug into what to do when serving starts to feel draining and how to find joy in that again. But today it's just me with you, and we are going to take it one step further. Because serving isn't just something that we do when we sign up for a role or join a team. It really is a way of life. It's a heart posture we one that shows up in small faith filled moments that nobody may see. But the one that matters, God, he sees always. So let's talk about what it really means to live a lifestyle of service right where you are and right with what you already have. So, as you may know, we homeschool our four kids. And for funsies, my husband likes to give the kids a weekly writing assignment. That is, it's not too long. It's actually, let's see if I can remember, it's their age multiplied by a certain number is the amount of words that he requires them to write. So it could go from 300 words to 500 words. I think. For my oldest, I don't remember what the multiplication fact is, but it doesn't matter. The fact is that he has them writing these fun little assignments. And on this particular week, the subject actually was what it means to be a servant. And this was not in conjunction with this podcast at all. He did this on his own, so that is absolutely really, it's just really cool. He had no idea that we were doing this series and I think it's really awesome. So as I was reading my kids responses, some of them were hilarious and some of them were really spot on. And it reminded me that true service really isn't always flashy or dramatic or seen in the public eye. It really does happen in those small, unnoticed moments. The, the time that you're willing to lend a hand or to listen or to show up. I mean, Jesus modeled this perfectly. And today we're actually going to dive into how we can follow his example in our daily lives to make service a way of life. And I'm excited to dive in. So Jesus really was not about grand gestures in servants, it was about being present. And you know, we often think of serving as a big missions trip or a volunteer role, but really real service is woven into everyday life. It's the quiet, behind the scenes stuff, the things that we do without recognition and sometimes without even realizing it's service at all. And honestly, kids do this far better than we do. And I wanted to share a few real life examples from my own children, the way that they beautifully captured everyday service in their, their paragraphs that they had to write. So my oldest, he talked about helping their, his siblings with schoolwork. So that's showing up. Service is showing up in, in the patience that he has to use when he's helping that. But also it means slowing down to help someone else out. And you know, as, as busy people, we don't always want to do that. And I love that he put this in his paper. This is a great perspective shift. Carter, my 13 year old, he wrote, he actually wrote, even if no one notices, don't matter. You just do your thing and hope it helps. And I think that that is amazing. It's like a, like a quiet consistency. He's like, even if no one's there, do it. It's, it's worth it. He also taught, he also said, don't care, don't care if it's boring or dumb, just do it. So it's like, even if it's inconvenient, even if it is boring and dumb, he says, do it. And you know what? Sometimes real service is picking up the slack without grumbling. It's showing up even when it's hard and you don't want to. And I, I love this example. My youngest, she says that, you know, true service is love in action. She didn't say that specifically, but that's what the, the gist of what she was saying.
[00:05:35] You know, it's kindness, it's dependability, it's a willingness to say yes and having that heart to help because not everybody has that. And I love that about her and my 11 year old, my other girl, she really captures a powerful truth in hers. Her theme in her 300 words or 330 words, however many she wrote, was that serving isn't about being bossed around or being forced into it. It's really about a willingness to step in because you care. And I love this because she really is showing that when we serve out of love instead of obligation, it really sticks. Stops being about what we're doing and starts being about who we're becoming. And that is what the Lord wants from us. He wants us to change as we are serving others. He if. If we're going into this just to be seen, to be heard, to be known all about us, we're really not going into serving with the heart. That's right. But when you go into it with the heart, that's. That is wanting to help. It really changes who you are. And it's also a great reminder of healthy boundaries. Because saying yes to service doesn't mean saying yes to being walked over. A servant's heart honors others and it honors themselves. So when you are serving others, she. She talked about serving isn't just being about bossed around or forced. Being forced into it, which is true, because that's not real service if you're being forced into something. So you really have to set those healthy boundaries and not just say yes to everything. Because I feel like sometimes we can get stuck in a rut and feel like, yep, we have to say yes to this, because that's what the Lord's called us to do. But we have also set those healthy boundaries and know that we have to come at serving. And Angela touched on this. We. We come at serving with a heart of gratitude and joy.
[00:07:55] And if that's not the heart that we're coming at this with, we need to reevaluate. And I love that she mentioned that. So Jesus served in simple ways that made a big impact. He was always noticing people. He listened and spoke life into people and told them what they needed to hear, not necessarily what they wanted to hear. He met practical needs. He was there cooking breakfast for his disciples and helping to wash the feet of people. It's just. It's beautiful what he's showing us. He really did humble himself before all of these people. I mean, I don't know if you've ever washed someone's feet before. Especially if you think about it in the. In Jesus's time, there were sandals and it was dusty and dirty. So washing the feet was not. Some like, oh, we just pour water over and oh, it's a bit. No, like, it was probably not pretty. It was humbling. That should be a reminder to us that it's not about waiting for a big opportunity. It really is about being faithful where you are, and it's about a heart Posture. It's not about an event. It's not about a specific thing. It doesn't have to be big and boisterous. And everyone has to see it. Serving as a form of worship is done with the correct heart posture. And I, There's a bunch of scriptures that I have that I'm going to add to the show notes that go back to everything that I'm saying.
[00:09:34] Obviously, we have only got 20 to 30 minutes here each week, and so this isn't. I, I don't have time to read through all these scriptures, even though I absolutely would love to do that. But I am going to add it to the show notes. So I, I urge you to go and read these. Read about how Jesus served in these small ways, how he made a huge impact in the way that he served, and hopefully it will help to change your own heart and mind in the way that you can serve others.
[00:10:06] So some practical ways to make service a lifestyle is serving in those small moments, like I said, so serving in those unseen, everyday ways, encouraging someone, taking time to listen, praying for a friend, noticing, you know, where there is a need to be filled. My.
[00:10:29] My oldest son, one of the other things that he wrote in his paper was about doing chores for his siblings because real service looks like doing those little things that make home life a little better for everyone and even if no one asks you to do it or notices doing it anyway. And if we could just take a little, a little tip from these sweet babies that have written these things, if this is what they're noticing and doing about being a servant. How much more should we as adults want to live this out in our, in our daily lives? Making service part of your routine? I mean, it's not about adding more to your schedule. Okay, I know that we already have schedules packed up and you're like, jessica, okay, I really want to serve, but I just don't have time to add one more thing. I get it.
[00:11:28] I'm not asking you to add more to your schedule. What I'm asking you to do is shift how you show up. I want you to. This is. You are listening to perspectives into practice. So we are talking about coming into all these situations that we talk about with a different perspective. And that means shifting your mindset from I have to serve to I get to serve. So if you're a teacher, how can you serve beyond just teaching? If you're a mom, how can you model a service for your kids?
[00:12:06] Do you work in ministry? How can you serve outside side of your role in whatever Ministry work that you do. These are, these are ways to, to shift how you show up in what you're already doing instead of adding more to your schedule. Because serving should not be an obligation. It is an opportunity. An opportunity for us to love like Christ. I mean, even when Jesus was tired, he still served with joy because he knew, he knew that it was part of his purpose. And we are part of that. That is our purpose as well.
[00:12:49] So I want to, I, I am going to read the scripture to you. This is Colossians 3:23. When I was coming up with my notes for this, this one just kept popping in my head. Colossians 3:23 says, Whatever, whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for human masters.
[00:13:10] This is how serving others is a form of worship because we are doing it with all of our heart for the Lord.
[00:13:21] It says, whatever you do, not in some things, that you do, in most things, in everything you do, whatever it is you were doing, do it with all of your heart as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Which is saying that every act of service, big or small, is an offering to God. And God is working through your service, even when you don't see it, even when you have no idea why you're doing this thing, even if you don't get to see the reward at the end. It's all an act of service and an act of worship to the Lord. You know, it reminds me, so a few months ago, we, our family, did a volunteer build for Habitat for Humanity. We were helping to build a house. And in that process, you won't always get to see the finished house. But every single volunteer still showed up. We trusted that what we did mattered. We trusted the people that were going to come behind us to continue the work. And we showed up every single day, every single day for two weeks to, to make a home for people that we will never meet. And that right there is faith in action. It's serving even when you don't see an outcome. And I can tell you that even though I didn't get to see the faces of those families that got to use that house, I mean, they're still, they're still finishing it. It's not completed.
[00:14:52] The amount of change that happened in my own heart through those two weeks was mind blowing. I, I, I had no idea what I was getting into when we signed up for this build, but I'm so thankful that we did it. And I went in there with no expectations, and I'm so Glad. Because there was no level of knowing what needed to be done. Now when I go to the next build, I don't know what expectations I'll have or bring with me because every single build is different. Which is what's beautiful about service and volunteering is that even if you do the same thing week after week after week after week, it really is going to be different every time. When you go into it with that heart of gratitude, right?
[00:15:44] But it's going to be different because of the people that you meet, the exchanges that you have, the conversations that you have, the smiles that you give. It's going to be different when you go into it with that heart of gratitude and with joy, rather than a heart of unwillingness or frustration or, ah, well, I gotta do this. You don't got to. You get to.
[00:16:14] So a lifestyle of service, doing this as a lifestyle, not in just big ways, it really does require surrender. And it's because it's not about our schedules or our comfort or our convenience. It really is about saying, lord, how do you want me to serve today?
[00:16:39] Who do you want me to talk to today? Lord, Lord, where am I supposed to go and do your will?
[00:16:47] So when we switch that conversation in our minds, that heart posture, it really does change the way that you see how you're serving. And, you know, if you, if you missed the last two episodes with Angela, go back and listen to those because there is just some amazing nuggets in there that she gave us. And it just helps you to. To change your mindset on serving others, on where you can serve, how you can serve. Serving with joy. I mean, it's. It just. We covered the gamut. So as we wrap up this Serving with Purpose series, I. I want to challenge you. Don't wait for the perfect moment to serve. Start right now. Start where you are. And like they say in the kids movie, see a need, fill a need. If you see that there's an area that could use someone, go serve love on others.
[00:17:48] This week, ask God to show you the small ways that you can serve. Maybe it's reaching out to a friend or helping someone at work or just being intentional with your time.
[00:18:03] Ask the Lord how you can serve. It doesn't have to be complicated, but it has to be intentional. All right.
[00:18:13] I am so glad that you have joined me in this series and with Angela, our sweet friend. If this has encouraged you, I'd love for you to follow the podcast to share it with a friend. And remember, even small shifts in perspective can lead to big changes. Now go put those perspectives into practice. Talk to you next time.
