Whom Do I Serve?
Mark 1:16-20 (vs 17) Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!"
The key to service to others is not the ability, it’s the availability.
James W. Moore writes of his part in making his family’s grocery store thrive. He and his brother were the ‘paid’ delivery boys. They had a covenant with Mom and Dad—when a customer called in with an order, they would bag the items and deliver them by bicycle. They were allowed to play in the field nearby until they heard their dad’s whistle, meaning a delivery call had been received and they were needed.
The response would be immediate. If James was playing baseball and had just gotten a huge hit and was rounding first base when the whistle came, he headed toward home not second base. The call could not be ignored, no matter the situation on the playing field. Such was the covenant of service. He made himself available.
The thought occurs; to whom was he responding—his dad or the customer? He could finish his run to home plate without noticeable delay, or he could stop on the delivery run to talk briefly with a friend, again without noticeable delay. Does it really matter?
Would it matter to you or me? We could continue running to reach home plate and receive wild congratulations for our accomplishment. That would be so appreciated…as long as we got to the store before dad had to whistle again. That would definitely not be appreciated.
We could dilly-dally on the bicycle ride to the customer’s house without serious delay. They would be just as appreciative of the timely arrival of the items ordered as a faster trip would have done…unless an unanticipated emergency occurred in which an item in a bag on the bike held a critical relief to the problem. That would definitely not be appreciated.
A covenant, written or otherwise, may define the action to be expected but probably not the timing for its completion. How it is carried out—the timeliness, the diligence, indeed the attitude of the participants—may be open to discretion but it will certainly be noticed. The success of the covenant mission depends on it.
Our next opportunity may be sooner than we think. “Let me know if I can help,” is false hope unless truly meant with a quiet assurance of availability. So, be ready. Listen for God’s invitation. If your heart hears the call, you could be the delivery person perfectly suited for the task…if available.