August 12, 2024
Melissa Valerio
There’s a story of a man who died and was transported to hell. He was surprised to find hell a beautiful place, except that all the people there were emaciated. He went to the dining hall and saw that even though the food was plentiful, everyone’s health was bad. His curiosity piqued; he wracked his brain for a clue to solve this riddle. He then found that the inhabitants were given long-handled ladles to use while eating. This was such a difficult and awkward way to eat that hardly any food reached their mouths. As a result, they were starving. After several meals in hell, the man was suddenly transported to heaven. At first, he was overjoyed. Then, he went to the dining hall and was dismayed to find that the same ladles were used there. However, everyone looked happy, healthy and well-fed. Then he noticed that instead of trying to feed themselves, the inhabitants were serving each other conveniently with the ladles. The selfishness of those in hell had warped their thinking to only focus on themselves, and the generosity of those in heaven had enabled them to think of each other and in so doing, save each other.
THIS, IN NO WAY, ACCURATELY DEPICTS HEAVEN OR HELL, but it does speak of a striking truth — serving self brings death; serving others brings life. The heart of a servant is set on the wellbeing of others and is happy to go about their work faithfully serving the Lord. By definition, a servant doesn’t seek his own glory, but that of someone else. Jesus is a prime example of this servanthood. His act of turning water into wine in John 2 brought glory to the bridegroom while Jesus quietly watched from the shadows. And His ultimate service on the cross brought eternal life for you and me. Working all for the benefit of someone else. Another great example is in Exodus 17 when Moses and the Israelite army were fighting against the Amalekites. When Moses raised his hands to praise God, the Israelites were winning. When he lowered his hands, they were losing. As a result, Aaron (Moses’ brother) and Hur (Moses’ friend) helped him keep his hands raised to the Lord in order to win the battle. One on one side of Moses, one on the other, keeping his hands raised the entire time. God used these two men in a mighty way to have a great impact for the nation. Their service was critical to obtaining victory. God uses you and me in similar ways. When we serve the Lord and serve others, we make significant contributions to the Kingdom. So, let’s ladle up and go show His love to the world in the way we serve others.
Prayer: Holy Father, if anyone knows how to serve, it’s You. Thank You for coming to Earth as a man, dying for us, and saving our souls — the greatest act of service of all time. Give us that same heart to serve. Give us opportunities to serve others. Give us joyful hearts while doing it. Make us more and more like You. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Action: Read and memorize 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, you should do it all for God’s glory.” We should be seeking to glorify God in everything we do, not ourselves. This is a key component in service — bringing glory to someone other than ourselves. When we serve others, we glorify God. Find someone you can serve today.