This article is an entry from the 2023 YLG Writing Contest. The contest invited younger leaders between the ages of 18–35 to bring to a global audience their much-needed insight, perspective, and theological understanding of pressing issues, connecting the gospel message to current global events, culture, news, and trends.
In 2011, northeastern Japan suffered a domino effect of disasters: a magnitude 9.0 earthquake brought on thirty-three-foot tsunamis reaching as far as six miles inland, which together resulted in a nuclear emergency from power plants in the Tohoku region. With 20,000 dead and many more displaced, some wondered, ‘If there is a God, where is he?’
In the days following this disaster, Rev Eiji Sumiyoshi of Nakoso Christ Church in Iwaki city had a dream of Jesus walking toward the power plant. Turning to Sumiyoshi, Jesus asked him, ‘Are you evacuating? Are you abandoning me?’
Jesus provided a timeless, divine example of God’s heart to a broken and suffering world nearly 2,000 years ago. Even today, he works powerfully through believers around the world. Whether the at-home mother, guiding her children in the Lord, or the youth ministers, sacrificially building up the next generation, or the blood of martyrs unjustly spilled, the seed of the church, the Lord is working through believers to shine his light. Despite the many languages and cultures present in our days today, there is one example that Jesus taught and portrayed that remains not only relevant, but desperately needed in every age. This is the command and gift of service.
In John 13, Jesus, knowing that he had been given all things by his Father in heaven, took off his outer clothing, wrapped a towel around his waist, and did the job of the lowliest of servants. After washing the disciples’ dirt-stained feet, he taught them the meaning of what he had just done: if you are my disciples, you will serve those around you. Here he displays the essence of his teaching in Matthew 20:26-28,
“…But whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be most prominent among you must be your slave—28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The leaders of the early church were taught that to lead God’s people, as ambassadors and examples of the risen Christ, they needed to serve. Notably, this service is not restricted toward believers alone, after all, Judas’ feet were presumably cleaned as well.
Service is both a means and an end. For those outside the body of Christ, service opens doors, softens hearts and declares Jesus’ heart for sinners. For those inside, service is a balm, a relief to the burdened and a regular participation of God’s outflowing, sacrificial love. A follower of Jesus is meant to be a blessed blessing to all who encounter them. Ask yourself, ‘Am I a blessing to those around me? Whether those I regularly see or those I encounter by happenstance, am I allowing myself to be a vessel of God’s love for the world?’
However, when the church neglects service, selfishness inevitably begins to take hold. Like a weightlifter who continues to eat thousands of calories a day but never actually works out, the church grows fat and hoards what it was meant to use and share. Extreme examples of this are not hard to find: financial misuse, obsession over desires and lack, manipulation, abuse and a disregard for biblical truth. Poor mental health has even been attributed to an increased focus on self which, as Proverbs 11:25 advises, may benefit greatly from focusing on serving others and ‘thinking of ourselves less’.
The early church leader of Jerusalem, James, taught that faith without good deeds is dead and useless. After all, he reasons, the demons believe with a sure and certain faith who God is, but their deeds show that they are not God’s servants, rather, his enemies. He goes so far as to say that a stagnant faith that does not have any outworking is a faith that cannot save (James 2:14). This warning is sobering and should invoke an honest assessment of where we are, but past it lies a beautiful teaching; our faith is a precious gift that thrives in its practice. He goes on to say that our actions ‘perfect’ our faith by working together (James 2:21-22).
For those outside the body of Christ, service opens doors, softens hearts and declares Jesus’ heart for sinners. For those inside, service is a balm, a relief to the burdened and a regular participation of God’s outflowing, sacrificial love.
Elsewhere in the New Testament, we see that the service given to others is encouraged as if we were serving the Lord himself (Eph 6:5-8). In Matthew 25:35-41, Jesus explicitly says that believers will have served him by serving others.
Think about that reality for a moment.
What would you do if it was Jesus himself you were serving food to? What if he was the one who was in prison? Or homeless and asking for some food and drink? Would our schedules adjust to the Spirit’s guidance or would they rule over us, hardening our hearts?
As I have meditated on these truths, I notice a change in my service. It’s not perfect, but I find myself more excited to find opportunities to love others and serve them. This could be serving my wife after a long and exhausting day by putting the kids down to sleep, making her tea and asking about her day.
Imagine the difference it would make if we saw these opportunities to serve as a service done to the Lord himself: helping a stranger on the side of the road, though we may be late for a meeting. Talking and praying with the homeless, rather than coughing up a few bucks over a half-opened window. Serving our neighbors rather than our property lines.
‘What would you do if it was Jesus himself you were serving food to? . . . Would our schedules adjust to the Spirit’s guidance or would they rule over us, hardening our hearts?’
Awakening from his dream, Rev Sumiyoshi knelt down and wept. ‘Lord, thank you, I’ll stay here.’ In the years that followed, he led a charge of volunteers of all different backgrounds who helped restore Fukushima. This turned out to be a crucial moment in Japan’s ministry efforts as many came to faith in Jesus because they saw several congregations serving, as the church together, while others were evacuating. Their radical unified service declared Jesus’s heart for the world.
If you are willing, ask God to empower you to love others through service, not as a people pleaser, but as one who is desperate to show a continual gratitude for God’s finished work on the cross (John 19:28-30). May you eagerly serve the Lord through those he has put in your life, declaring his lordship and power in your service to others.