Saved to Serve
14th May 2010 by Rusty Hodges
There's a saying in The Salvation Army that we are saved to serve. If you have ever wondered what those funny looking S's are on our uniform collars, it means we are saved to serve.
We follow Jesus example of serving the world. He has commissioned us to go and serve the lost, the last and the least. When we encounter the grace of God in our lives we can't help but serve others. It becomes part of our DNA.
It's a simple thing to serve. It doesn't need to be a huge task. To serve others might be as simple as befriending the lonely at school. It might mean helping look after kids in Sunday school. It might mean helping your youth group clean up someone's yard who is sick. It may be visiting someone in hospital.
It is through our witness of serving that people may see God in us.
Mother Teresa renown for working with the dying and destitute in Calcutta, India was asked once by a journalist how does she continue to serve these people year in year out when she gets nothing in return? (Many of the people she worked with were dying from AIDS). She looked at the Journalist with a smile and said, "Young man, I see Jesus in their eyes. I do it because of him."
We serve simply because we have Jesus in us.
U.S. Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Jnr once challenged his church to serve. Check out this clip (an excerpt from that message.)
I pray that you will be challenged to Go and serve your world, where you are, and see Jesus in the eyes of those you serve. If you look you will see Jesus there.
Till next time
Happy serving...
Rusty
save. grow. serve.
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Comments
so should we serve because we have Jesus in us, or because we see Jesus in them?
'Saved to Serve' or 'Saved to Save'?
I read something interesting the other day from Captain Steve Court. He said that the two S's originally meant 'Saved to Save' - it was part of the heart cry of The Salvation Army to challenge its soldiers to win the world for Jesus. He argues that the phrase 'Saved to Serve' kind of dilutes the very core of the Army's mission. But don't trust my interpretation, you can check his thoughts it out for yourself at the link below...
Captain Steven Court on the ArmyBarmy blog
What do other people think? I'd be keen to hear some responses!
it is saved to save.. not saved to serve
Yeah I'm pretty sure it was originally Saved to Save, not Saved to Serve. I think the real question surrounds how we understand and/or define being saved, or salvation. In my opinion many Christians have a dualistic understanding/mindset when it comes to the notion of salvation, thinking of it in terms of our souls or spirits being saved from sin for eternity/relationship with Jesus. But the early Salvation Army (and many other people/movements throughout Christian history) had a much more wholistic understanding of salvation. Salvation was not simply about the soul/spirit of a person, it included and encompassed the 'whole person', their mind, body, circumstance and soul. Salvation for the whole person, not just their 'soul'. And if that is the kind of World Salvation we're being swept up into then it will of course overflow naturally into acts of service for others.
Basically what I'm saying is I think it's not as simple as just dilluting the Army's mission, but we risk failing to truly understand what Salvation is !!? I mean we call ourselves The Salvation Army, but I wonder how many 'Salvationists' actually understand the fullness/meaning of the word Salvation !?
Anyway there ends my rant, those are my 5 cents, any others ??
Keen to others thoughts on Nate's comment...
in my thinking i believe that serving others is a natural result of a fruit bearing christian. If we have Jesus inside of us we are (or in my experience) compelled to and serve the world.
I think the second part of seeing Jesus in those we serve helps us with our attitude. Even if we are compelled to serve as a result of our relationship with God. We can sometimes slip into a mentality of i'm doing this to either make myself feel good, or this is the 'help' the person needs.
God has dealt with this kind of attitude in me before... we the song rises up within us 'what about me?" If we discipline ourselves to look for Jesus in those we meet and serve, It can help us serve with a right attitude and heart response to what God has done in our lives.
But thats just me... happy to hear more thoughts
Hi guys
A word from an older young at heart warrior, who is currently on leave in London (at the International College for Officers) but who likes to keep inspired by checking in on the More site...
We went today to visit the East End of London, where it alll started about 145 years ago. There was William Booths statue, near the very spot where he preached his first sermon outside the Blind Beggar Pub, his hand pointing towards heaven, urging people to lift their eyes and hearts above the things of this world and capture a vision of God's love and concern for them and power to transform them.
But all around that statue were people whose eyes and bearing told me this was not a message s they could easily hear. Drinking and cursing, a group of alcoholics sat within metres of the Founder's bronzed feet. Groups of young people who seemed bored and angry with the world huddled around the doorways of snooker rooms and entertainment centres. We were told by our guide that the Blind Beggar pub is one of the most notorious in London with strong links to organised crime and is frequently raided by the police.
I thought of my calling as we stood there. "Saved to Save" people like this?? - for whom salvation wasnt even on their radar, or part of their world. The 24 uniformed officers standing in their street must have looked like aliens to them, they certainly avoided us, and one or two shouted unrepeatable comments. But as we were leaving and I was walking away, one of the older men drinking in the street grabbed me by the arm and pulled me down towards him. I wanted to turn and run. His odour was overwhealming. But he wanted me to know something.. " Last winter when I was sick and homeless and cold, you people toook me in and were good to me, he said... The major was a saint and I even went to your chapel and said a prayer." he let me go and I blessed him and told him to keep praying as he took another swig from his botttle.
We went back to the comforts of the ICO, far removed from the poverty and smells of Londons East End , and I was reminded again that for some people, salvation will only come from real, Christ-like acts of service. A hard heart , a crushed spirit, a damaged soul, can often only be lifted by tangible acts of love and service that convey to the wounded and burdened the idea that salvation is possible. Often many acts of service will be required if we are to penetrate a hardened heart with the grace and love that draws people to the Saviour. "Saved to Save" is great , but for me "Saved to Serve" is still our Armys particular, special calling, and as I commit myself to that work and that attitude of heart, the salvation part will come.
Thanks for the input paul.
For me i am again proud of the heritage from which we come. But what is the heritage that we ourselves, today, are leaving for those coing behind us. I was having a conversation the other day with a friend about our heritage (not in a traditional sense) but thinking about the salvationist who went to war.
Did they go to Save or did they go to serve? if another great war started would we as salvationists/Christians be ready to accept to call to go to the fight to serve our diggers?
or will we be to comfortable in our world to heed the call?
I have no answer to this question. I would like to think that God willing i would be willing.
But the question is what is the cost for us to serve the broken, the lost, abd the lonely? do we even care? or are we so overwhelmed by the need that we are powerless to do anything.
You know, we might not be able to change the world but we do have the power to change ourselves. I'm reminded of the story of a little boy on the seashore who had found hundreds of starfish washed up on the shore.
an older man saw him picking up the starfish and throwing them back into the sea. The man asked if his this act of service was making a difference. The boy just turned and said maybe not. Then he bent down picked up another one and as he threw it into the sea again he said at least it will make a difference to this one!
For me if we are saved, yes our focus should be on saving others, but i agree our brand of salvation needs to be coupled with radical acts of service. It might only be a simple act, like throwing a star fish into the sea, but it could make a difference an individuals life, who may actually fall into grace as we show them grace.
I think it was John (I could be wrong, but somone said it) who said "they will know us by our love"... For me love comes out in service. So for me it needs to be saved to serve.
Salvation is the goal - Service is the Vehicle.
(more thoughts??? Loving the discussion...)
wow this is one of the most commented blogs in a while! love it
Now that we all agree that we are saved to serve...(wink wink) how does this influence our attitude towards Red Sheild appeal? should it change our attitude?
just a thought!!!