pA huge part of the Christian life revolves around being servant-hearted, looking after the needs of others, and sacrificing what we may want, in order to bless others. So, why do we find it so hard to let other people serve *us*? We put our hands up in protest, saying ‘No I don’t have anything that I need prayer for’ or ‘It’s kind of you, but I’m pretty good right now’. Not only is this a bit short-sighted, but it goes against how Jesus lived. Want proof that God spent time relaxing/being served? ‘A woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table’ (Matthew 26:7 ESV). There we go. But this is much bigger than Jesus ‘just’ accepting being served. The woman who poured the ointment onto Jesus’ head wouldn’t have been able to afford such a luxury ever again. She wasn’t just pouring this oil on His head so He could smell pleasant for the rest of the day, she was putting into practice what Jesus asked the rich man to do in Luke 18:22 by giving up all she had in service. Can you imagine what would have happened if Jesus turned round to that woman and said, ‘Erm, I’m alright actually, thanks?’ What would that have done to her eager, serving heart? Yeah. Lesson of the day? Let people bless you and look after you when they offer. It’s healthy for you, and faith-growing for them./p
pWhat now?br /
God wants us to spend time with those we’re serving, so they can serve us too. We need both. If you’re doing all the serving, step back for this week./p