TUESDAY
The Christian virtue associated with service boils down to love, as so many things do in the Christian life. Service is a function of our genuine love. Love is the big category; the smaller categories are mercy, compassion and grace that lead us to acts of service.
We have already covered what Peter said in 1:22-23 but it’s worth revisiting here.
1 Peter 1:22–23 22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;
This love is a natural outworking of our new identity in Christ. By that I mean if we have been born again of the imperishable seed through the living word of God, we will grow in genuine love and therefore acts of service.
Later in chapter 3, after his specific household and social codes, Peter will write:
1 Peter 3:8 8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
These are to be the base dispositions of all Christians. Sympathy, love, compassion and humility will inevitably lead to a life of service.
Reflection
If serving others feels like a chore to you or an inconvenience to your life, don’t solely make it another law and force yourself to do it (sometimes acting, even if you’re not feeling it, is necessary, but it shouldn’t be the regular practice). Instead, reflect on your heart. Do you have love, sympathy, compassion for those who are suffering? If you don’t, ask if there is anything in your life you have yet to surrender to Jesus. Then desperately pray for God to produce these in you. When you have genuine love, compassion, sympathy and humility, service will be a natural outflow of who you are. Without those, serving others can be a selfish endeavor to make us feel good or to improve our social status. It could also be another law we feel obligated to do but deep down we resent. These are not grounded in genuine love. God is far more concerned with our heart than the action of service. Our acts of service should flow out of our genuine love, compassion, sympathy and humility.