Serving Challenge: An 11-Day Life-Changing Journey to Serve Like JesusSample

Serving Like Jesus: Your Availability

Can life feel full but not very fulfilled for you? Does hurried, frantic, restless, and busy describe your life? Is your schedule, thoughts, plans, time, and budget so tight that you have no margin left for serving others?

I suggest two ways to combat this hurry.

First, slow down. John Ortberg labeled slowing as a spiritual discipline. He defines it as "cultivating patience by deliberately choosing to place ourselves in positions where we simply have to wait." I'll give you some practical ideas in the challenge to do this today.

Second, if you are in a season when you will be busy, intentionally plan and block time to serve others before your calendar starts filling up with other things.

Over the past several years, my family noticed we turn inward around the season of Christmas. So, we will intentionally put a servant opportunity before us in the days after Christmas or at the beginning of the New Year.

We served on a hurricane disaster relief team even when my boys were only eleven and seven, and we went on a mission trip to Africa when they were twelve and eight. These serving opportunities were a great reset from the weird, consumeristic behaviors we developed leading up to Jesus's birthday.

I don’t think we are alone in the busy, hectic, and hurried Christmas time. In a season where God served us by making Himself available, our culture collectively turns into busy, frenzied, consumer-centric, punch-drinking, yam-eating shopaholics who hide elves on shelves. But think about this: The God of the universe, who busily controls, stewards, and has dominion over all creation, suddenly stopped. He stepped down, descended from His throne, and became one of us.

The miracle of Christ coming down as an ordinary human being and making Himself available to us pops off the pages. One moment in history, He could speak things into existence from His perfect heavenly throne, and now He is a newborn baby who can't even talk, walk, or crawl. What an incredible sacrifice and miracle!

Thank you, Jesus, for coming down to rescue us!

Challenge:

Intentionally slow down while driving in your car today. Here are some ways to practice that:

1. Drive the speed limit. Not a single mile-per-hour over.

2. Come to a full stop at stop signs.

3. Don't text and drive.