True joy: Becoming human

If we cannot find joy in the liturgy and the life of the church how do we expect to serve the church with true love for our service. Service is not about what I can do for myself rather it is about how you can serve in the body of Christ. Christ came to serve and not to be served and this should be the same mentality we bestow on ourselves. It only makes sense then that when we approach service that two points should stick in our heads as to why one would serve. First and foremost we are seeking our holiness and spirituality through service. Second, service is not about serving myself in the best conditions or how the "best" treat me but rather how I serve others with unconditional love and a selfless sacrifice to help others.

Many times service, for all the wrong reasons, turns into a "up and down" service were the servant looks down on the individual they are serving. However, this should never be the case. Rather the servant must learn to bring him or herself down on the same level of the person they serve. Once we learn to bring ourselves down or to humble ourselves then our service will begin to prosper because people will start to see that you are being true with them. Being yourself is the best thing to do in service because you show others that you yourself are a human and by being "human" you are broken and when you both see each other brokenness it is only then that both of you can work together. Once that concept is understood then the person serving will realize that he is not only serving but is also being served by the other person. Service then is not about the up and down approach but rather serving others in order to see there service in your life. Once we realize we are all broken that is when service begins to prosper and grow for the glory of God. Service then is about the spiritual rebirth of the soul and not about the physical nature of the service. Many people wonder if they should give money to a homeless person they see. Well why would you do that? By giving money that creates an "up and down" relationship because that tells him you have money and are rich and out of pity you will give him money. It is not about the money you give because money comes and goes (and you should give money. I am not suggesting you should not but rather give with love and care), rather if you sit down and talk to him or her for 5, 10 or 15 minutes that is the time they will remember the most. Coming down to there level in order to talk to anyone is what service is all about. It's not about the 5 dollars or the sandwich you buy for them because all that "stuff" comes and goes for them. Rather, it is about lowering yourself for the glory of God. This is when service will be service not only for the individual but for the person serving.

Through service can our own spirituality and holiness grow from within. Once we start humbling ourselves can we see Christ in every human being. However, if we continue to go about with our pride we will never see Christ in other humans and will continue to fool ourselves. Once then we see Christ in humanity and our own holiness is being preserved then that is when we will be able to serve others in the one body of Christ. Christ came to serve not the ones who were being served but rather those who had no one. He came for the prostitutes, tax collectors, homeless and every other type of broken people. Once we see the brokenness in the individual that is when we will see Christ also. As Matthew the Poor suggests in the quote following that true joy is with those who not only walk ahead of there flock but rather have obtained spiritual insight so that others may grow as well. Our actions and deeds determine the actions and deeds of others. Service is very important for that reason. If we are not true in our service then it is to no avail. If we maintain Christ within our service and we live out the liturgy it is then that service will grow and be fruitful.    
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"It is no joy for the church to have many active members of varied services who lack the spiritual proficiency for renewing souls and regenerating them in a genuine spiritual rebirth to win them for the kingdom of heaven. The true joy of the Church lies in leaders who possess spiritual insight, who walk ahead of their flocks so that the flocks can follow a sure path. It is not possible to obtain spiritual insight by action or study, spiritual insight is attained by silence, retreat and long prayers in their various stages." Matthew the Poor