I love serving...
I might be wrong, but I think most of us enjoy serving. If we see someone in need we choose to help. Or if someone asks for our help, we will gladly give it. But the operative words here are we choose, and asks.
Serving this way puts us in the driver's seat. We get to choose what we help with and what we don't. We are in control of our service. We also may decide to spontaneously help someone doing something WE WANT to do, but it might not be what THEY want done!
We are actually "serving" from a superior postition. "Yes, the great ME will serve the lowly YOU." Um...isn't that sort of an oxy, moron?
But what happens if they don't ask? What if they just tell us what to do? How do we like that? Hmmm, that's different, isn't it? "What am I, your slave or something? Um....
There are lots of words for "serve" and "servant." Some do mean to help, assist etc. But some don't.
"It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant (diakonos)" (Mathew 20:26). diakonos is a fairly generic term:
BDAG (Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third Edition) :
1. one who serves as an intermediary in a transaction, agent, intermediary, courier
2. one who gets someth. done, at the behest of a superior, assistant to someone.
It can mean a lot of things, depending on the context. I can live with that word. For now. Probably until I study it more.
It's the next verse that gets me:
"and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave (doulos)"(Mathew 20:27)
BDAG: "pert. to being under someone’s total control." .... 
That I don't like so much.
I love serving...just don't treat me like a slave.
Comments:
GaryWrites:
2008-02-27 15:28:00
Steve, Good points, I think. Maybe. Sure, there are some sorts of restrictions, and as usual, many of the Bible's teachings are held in tension. But we all too often jump to the exceptions and bottom line, we just don't like the status of slave (or even servant). But while I really like your disclaimers, I wonder if Jesus was thinking of them when He said, "and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave (doulos)" (Mathew 20:27).SteveWrites:
2008-02-12 18:39:00
I think it's important to remember that no one can serve two masters, let alone the hundred or so in my congregation or the thousands in my community or the billions... well, you get the picture. I will serve many in the name of Jesus, but only He can be my master. It's okay if others treat me like a slave, as long as they understand I am His slave, not theirs. At the end of the day, I answer to Him, not them. I seek His approval not theirs. So if you ask me to serve you, I will check to see if it's what my boss would have me do. If He gives the word, then I am your servant. If not, I'm sorry but I can't honor your request. You'll have to talk to my manager.CindyWrites:
2008-02-07 12:07:00
I guess you are right. You are often better at questions than answers! But isn't there a point where allowing others to "use" us or "walk all over" us is the wrong choice? Being a servant/slave to Christ and others surely doesn't mean tolerating everything ... but finding where that line is ... where God would draw it, not us ... that's the difficulty.GaryWrites:
2008-02-07 05:48:00
Cindy!! You've known me for over 20 years and you still expect answers from me??? I think you are probably right. It's really not about me, is it? We have all sorts of rationales for justifying our indignation. "Well, I'm not going to let them walk all over me!" It's a good thing Jesus didn't say "Well, I'm not going to let them crucify me!" I don't really have any good answers. At least not from my own life.CindyWrites:
2008-02-06 18:33:00
I so agree with you ... I am interested in what conclusion you draw from those thoughts. What happens when people do treat us like a slave? Shouldn't our response be the same (even if everything within us wants to rebel?)CindyWrites:
2008-02-06 14:12:00
It sounds like you started a great thought ... but didn't really finish it. Where does it go from there?GaryWrites:
2008-02-06 13:44:00
I'd have it already, but I'm too busy getting you coffee.MikeWrites:
2008-02-06 13:36:00
Btw, any chance of getting an RSS feed up for the blog?MikeWrites:
2008-02-06 13:32:00
Good post. Hope to see lots more like it. Now go get me a coffee!JenWrites:
2008-02-06 13:16:00
exactly! finally someone who gets it! . . ~Comment on Article.