What Does Service Look Like?
The icon we use for the Physical pathway shows a man hammering a nail. When you see that icon, who do you imagine that the man is? Why is he hammering? Is he a Christian on a short-term missions trip repairing a school in Guatemala? Is he a friend helping build a house for Habitat for Humanity? Or is it you doing maintenance work on your own house?
My guess is that your answer is probably closer to the first two. When we think of service, we typically think of helping others in our church or community. Helping out at home? That’s not service, is it?
I have a friend whose house is immaculate. His house is so clean, well-maintained, and perfectly landscaped that it looks like a model home instead of a place people actually live. This guy spends a lot of time working on his house, and he enjoys doing it. For most of us, though, cleaning out a closet or repainting the den is just drudgery. It’s thankless work—people may not notice you did anything and your spouse may even scold you for not doing it sooner.
This reminds me of Matthew 6, which in the traditional church is often read at the beginning of Lent: “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets…to be honored by men…” Similar instruction is given for prayer and fasting; basically, do not do these things to be showy and get others’ approval.
There’s nothing wrong with serving your church and community. Helping people move, working on the new church building, doing service projects—these are all important and worthwhile. Just make sure you’re not doing these things for the big pat on the back. If you’re finding time to help others with their work but just can’t find time for the same work at your own house, that may signal that you’re doing that service project for the wrong reasons.
If we look more closely at the Physical pathway, we find that it’s not just about service, though. It’s also about trying to bring wholeness to our physical life, like our health, finances, jobs, and home life. And maybe those things tie in with service after all. By setting up a budget, exercising more, and, yes, fixing the sink, we are serving our families.
It may be that picking up the hammer and fixing that loose board in your house this weekend—not because you’re being nagged or because it will impress someone—is the most selfless act of service you can do.
- Written by Matt Brown
February 5th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
This really caused me to stop and think. I love cleaning my friends’ houses. I love helping them dig through clutter and chaos and creating order and peace. But, my stars, I HATE cleaning my own house. It’s overwhelming and neverending. But, it’s also something I almost always do alone. I’ve realized that part of the fun of doing “service projects” is that we are usually working with other people. If one of my sisters would help me with my housework…even once a month…then I would LOVE it. I guess this is part of the reason community is so important.