Roll up Your Sleeves

Well, slap some o’ that there sweet tastin’ honey butter on a pipin’, hot biscuit and call me ready. This here’s a reminder we all need. Life can feel like a stampede of runaway cows, but Psalm 37:5 steadies our hearts: “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act.” That’s your anchor, buttercup. Yep, it’s your spiritual seatbelt when life hits potholes big enough to swallow a tractor.

And right in the middle of all that chaos, Jesus gives us our marching orders in Mark 10:45: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.” Now if the King of Glory can roll up His sleeves and serve folks messier than a raccoon in a corn bin, then surely we can find a way to love on somebody besides ourselves.

Bless James and John,  those boys were ‘a-squabblin’ over heavenly seating charts like two roosters ‘a-fightin’ over the same fence post. Jesus had to sit ’em down and explain that real greatness looks a whole lot like servanthood. That’s why Matthew 23:11 fits like a glove on a farmhand: “The greatest among you will be your servant.” Hard to lead folks if you’ve never walked in their muddy boots.

And serving? Oh, lil’ junebug, why, it comes in all shapes and sizes. Some folks bake casseroles that could bring revival. Others teach, preach, mentor, mop, sew, sing, or wrangle children like a saint with a whistle. Some folks thrive behind the scenes ‘a-crunchin’ spreadsheets like squirrels ‘a-crackin’ acorns. God didn’t hand out gifts like mismatched socks. He gave you exactly what somebody else needs.

The point is: serve from your giftedness, not from guilt. And don’t be ‘a-thinkin’ that service only happens inside the church walls. Sometimes the brightest light shines in the darkest hollers like soup kitchens, schools, prisons, hospitals, or right next door where someone’s heart is ‘a-hangin’ by a thread.

When we remember we’re the hands and feet of Jesus, our whole attitude shifts. It’s no longer about credit, applause, or who’s ‘a-watchin’. It’s about lovin’ like Jesus loved: intentionally, humbly, sacrificially. And yes, sometimes inconveniently. But friend, obedience is always worth the trouble.

Father, thank You for the privilege of servin’ You. Show me where my gifts meet someone else’s need. Give me courage to step out of my busyness and into Your purpose. Let folks see Jesus ‘a-shinin’ through me like sunlight through a barn window. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.

Well, I reckon that’s enough plowin’ through the fields of truth for today. Now go on, bug, and get to servin’ somebody with joy, the way a faithful old farm dog trots out to greet every soul who pulls up the driveway. The world’s mighty hungry for the kind of love Jesus done planted in you.

With joy,

Gwen