Episode #298 Serving Where No One Sees – Unforced Rhythms of Grace

Hey, friends. You have tremendous opportunities ahead of you today, hidden in super mundane, often overlooked moments. And I know this because I do, too. And we're talking today about serving when no one else sees. Now, I know this is a huge opportunity that's overlooked because oftentimes in our world, we are not taught to do things that no one else sees or notices. Emphasis can be put on what is publicly celebrated and commended, when we're receiving gratitude or commendation for our performance, or our good behavior for our acts of service. And I'm not saying don't ever do those things, but today we're talking about the hard work that happens when we do things that no one sees.

In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus talks about things that are often done for attention and earthly reward, and he exhorts us not to do that. He talks specifically about giving to the needy or praying in public or fasting, and ways that as humans, we can use those to draw attention to ourselves, but instead we get to do something better.

In Matthew 6:4, he talks about doing things in secret, and if you give, not letting one hand know what the other hand is doing, “Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Now, I'm a parent. I have two elementary aged kiddos. They're currently in second and fifth grade. And so as a mom, as a wife, as an entrepreneur who works at home, there's lots of things that I get to do in service that no one else sees. Or if they do see, they don't really pay attention to. And sometimes that can get frustrating. I'm not saying don't ever receive gratitude, like it's good for our family to appreciate what we do for them. But I'm talking specifically about our own heart posture today and embracing doing things without seeking external human earthly reward.

Richard Foster in Celebration of Discipline says, “Self-righteous service requires external rewards. It needs to know that people see and appreciate the effort. It seeks human applause—with proper religious modesty of course. True service rests contented in hiddenness.”

And he goes on to talk about humility and how service is the most conducive to the growth of humility in our hearts. He says, “Nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hiddenness. The flesh whines against service but screams against hidden service. It strains and pulls for honor and recognition. It will devise subtle, religiously acceptable means to call attention to the service rendered. If we stoutly refuse to give in to this lust of the flesh, we crucify it. Every time we crucify the flesh, we crucify our pride and arrogance.”
The result then happens is that humility slips in unaware. We might not even sense its presence, but we do sense fresh zest and exhilaration with living.

Even when the demands of life are as great as ever, we can live with a new sense of unhurried peace. Why? Because service becomes a way of living, not just relegated to specific acts. And so I love this perspective because it means that service in the mundane, the ordinary, the trivial, the practical, the stuff that is overlooked, can carry great significance and meaning for us.

It becomes an exercise of worship. It becomes an exercise of humility as we operate in it. And our days are full of opportunities just like this.

We're gonna ask God to bring our attention to some of those ways as we go about the rest of our day today. So here's a question you can take to him. And on this one especially, I encourage you pick up this question more than once.
I'm gonna make it part of my regular daily rhythms because I want to live with this awareness that it's not just the public facing ministry or service that I do. It's not just the things that are noticed that have value, but there's great significance in serving in the hidden places that no one sees.

And so here's that question:

God, help me see the value in the ordinary ways that I serve. What do you want to draw my attention to today?

Have a good talk.

And if you've been encouraged by this content, please share it with a friend and help them grow in their conversational relationship with God too!

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