The What:
As Christians, service is in our DNA. We are instructed to love God with our whole heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves. The way the second is often played out is through service to one another.
One of the biggest challenges we face in 2021 is that we live in a massive consumer culture, and oftentimes a consumer church. There are many knowers of the Word, but what about doers? We can fill the pews, but do we flood the outside world? It takes consciousness and the Holy Spirit to fight this human bent that lies within all of us, and to be a guide to our children as they grow up in the same challenging environment.
The Why:
Jesus loved people in a radical, life-changing, out of the box kind of way. And honestly, that gets me all kinds of JAZZED UP. The sky is the limit when it comes to loving our neighbors. Sometimes when Christians use terms like, “well we shouldn’t have to bend over backwards…”, I just think, maybe we should! Maybe that is a completely appropriate response. There’s room for healthy boundaries and all that, but maybe it’s okay if we were all a little more inconvenienced.
I’ve recently been especially in awe of God’s design for people to need and want other people. We are made for the loving and caring of one another. For an extroverted Enneagram 2 like myself, this is especially my jam, but the truth is we ALL thrive in Biblical community and serving one another.
There are so many places one can point to about God’s heart for service in the Bible, but one of my favorites is Mark 10:45.
In Mark, God put it so simply: “For even the son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:45
The King of all creation put on human flesh to wash dirty feet, heal the physically and socially outcast, and ultimately painfully die as an eternal sacrifice for all of humankind. WOW. Our King came to serve, and so must we.
The How:
Here are a few basic reminders and ideas for parents who hope to inspire the heart of a servant in their kids:
Talk about it!
Kids know what we love by what we talk about or how we spend our time. When I recently went to a restaurant and had their delicious salmon, you’d better believe I talked about that salmon for the next couple of weeks. When we are excited about an upcoming event, we talk about it in anticipation. In a similar and more exciting and loving way, we should talk to our kids about our Savior and the way He lived a life of service, which means we should serve, too!
Do it yourself!
I was on a mission trip after my senior year of high school when it finally began to click that I should love people because of my love for the Lord, not as a prerequisite to loving Him. Things seemed to make more sense once my heart understood this. Falling more in love with God meant falling more in love with the people He created. It’s part of His gracious sanctifying process. He so dearly, unconditionally loved and cared for me, so I should pour out the same.
Before we set course to mold the hearts of our children, let us examine our own!
Do your kids see you serving your spouse? Do they see you taking the mower across the street to cut grass for a neighbor? Are they coming along as you drop off food donations? Do they see you clean up the mess in the church room or kitchen left by a previous group without grumbling (I’m quietly looking away as I type this one, yikes). Obviously, servitude is not a call to perfection, but it is a call to humility. Have I left a mess in a church room before? I’m sure I have, and it makes me shudder.
All this to say, the opportunities to serve around us are PLENTY. Are we looking for them? Are we slowing down enough to take the opportunities? I have found my busyness can be one of the biggest barriers obstructing me from serving those around me. We must have the TIME and leave the SPACE for it. Do we have a servant’s heart when we do serve? Or are we grumbling along the way?
Do it with them!
When you love something, you bring someone you love along to experience it with you! Like my salmon anecdote, you’d better believe I am going back to that restaurant with my husband so he can experience the amazing salmon, too. Other examples include rides at Six Flags, favorite vacation spots, sporting events . . . We very naturally do this with our kids already, so let’s do the same by inviting them to join us as we serve!
Of course, keeping things age-appropriate is an important part of this. While our children are young, they can simply come along, and as they grow older, they can take hold of more responsibility for service both in and outside of the house.
Pray, Pray, Pray!
Three “prays” for before, during, and after all of this.
Pray before you strategize creating little servant hearts. Pray daily as you talk of servitude in your conversations at home. And pray as you see the humanity come out in your child as they are LEARNING the joys and blessings that come with service.
The Bible constantly reminds us of the importance of seeking the Lord, praying without ceasing, and abiding in Him!
Important to note: There is so much grace for you as a parent
In the world of Pinterest and 5 bazillion parenting books, please remember this is not a call to perfection. You will get it wrong at times, and that is okay. If you feel you have already messed this up, or your kid detests serving “others,” God’s grace can fill the gaps. He knows and He cares.
Some of this is about managing expectations, too! There must be room for service and rest. We truly cannot expect kids to do on the outside what Christ hasn’t done on the inside. We are all doing the best we can! Praise God for filling in our gaps with His grace!
Need some inspiration? Here are few ideas!
- Explore ways to serve with our church family, or reach out to Kim Coleman in our ProjectServe ministry at serving@stonebriar.org
- Connect with Karen Hawkins or Keith Tyler in our Missional Living ministry to find out how you can regularly serve our community.
- Bring food to a friend (someone who is sick, moving, or having a baby, or anyone just because).
- Pick up trash as you walk around your neighborhood.
- Adopt a grandparent at a local nursing home.
- Clean out the house to donate things for a local non-profit like Frisco Family Services.
- Go pick out some backpacks/duffle bags at the store for local foster kids.
- Make a treat for your local fire station.
- Take water or lemonade out to the people mowing your lawn or doing construction outside.
- Ask the church if you can make something to serve your pastors (meal, treat, cards of encouragement).
- Make a tie blanket for someone at a nursing home or local pregnancy center.
