Read Luke 17:7-10
Which Do You Prefer? Selfless Love Or Selfish Love?
When we do something for someone do we expect something in return or not? In this passage Jesus makes an interesting comment about being a servant to God and others. If I am a servant tending my Master’s sheep and I come in from the field, will my master say to me, “Come, sit down and eat.” Of course not! I am his servant. Rather, he will say, “Fix me my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink. After I’m done, then you may eat and drink.” Then, when I have completed all my duties, will my Master thank me for all my work? Of course not, because I was only doing what was expected of me.
When I read what Jesus said I think of the attitude we should have when we serve the Lord and others.
1. Our Attitude Toward God: when we serve the Lord we should do so out of joy. We should be delighted to want to serve the Lord God Almighty. When he asks us to do something, whether easy or hard, we should do so with delight! Why? Because God, our Master, is a loving master who cares about us. He’ll always be with us through all that he asks of us. So let us have that heart of joy serving him with delight!
2. Our Attitude Toward Others: It’s the same when we are acting as a servant to those surrounding us at work, or home, or wherever we go. May we always have a servants heart and always do so expecting nothing in return because we’re only doing what God has asked us to do. When we serve lovingly, expecting nothing in return, then we are serving with unconditional love. The moment we put an expectation on it, is the moment the act of Love becomes conditional love. I’ll do this only if you “Pay me,” or “Help me when I need help,” or “You thank me profusely!”
We should want to serve out of so much love that it becomes unconditional. Unconditional love makes it all about the other person. Conditional love makes it about us. One is selfless and one is selfish.
Now let me add this, as Christians, we should, out of love and respect thank those who serve us. Would I appreciate some type of thanks? Sure I would, but I shouldn’t expect it because your love goes from unconditional love (selfless Love) to conditional love (selfish love).
Today, when you do something for someone, check yourself. Are you doing it expecting something in return or are you so excited to serve that you don’t want anything in return?
