Today’s blog is written by Sara Montenegro de Monge, our New Dawn Residential Program Coordinator. She is sharing her experience living and serving in El Salvador as part of our mission.
Today, while searching for a bit of wisdom in a Christian article, I came across a piece about what it really means to genuinely serve God. We are used to thinking that service happens in the church and according to Christian customs: singing during a worship service, preaching the Word, serving in Sunday School, serving food at an activity, even cleaning the church bathrooms. And yes, all of that – and more – is service to God.
But there are times when we forget that service to God is also a life style, not an activity that lasts for an hour and a half (the time that a worship service lasts). It’s a lifestyle that should govern every area of our lives. It is about having the heart of a servant.
Pilar Herrera writes in her article, God Calls You to a Life of Service (in the Gospel Coalition): “We serve when we change a baby’s diaper,; when you care for and help your husband as his suitable companion, you are serving; when you watch a couple’s children so they can go out for a walk or eat dinner alone, you are serving; when you are at work…”
And that is exactly where my reflection began.
I have the blessing of working at Mission To El Salvador, a place founded on Christian principles. We have daily times we call “Sabbath breaks,” where we can take 30 minutes during our workday to seek God. I can freely preach the Bible, play worship music while I work, read Christian books, and participate in Christian activities that are directed toward people who need God. And after talking with many people, we all agree that having a job like this is a great blessing.
However, i do not want to focus on what I am able to do, which is certainly part of serving God. Instead, I want to quote the last part of Pilar Herrera’s article, “when you are at work and have to do unpleasant tasks, you are serving the Lord. We must roll up our sleeves and do the dirty work, or that work that no one else wants to do. We must be wiling to serve those who cannot repay us.”
My work at MTES is exactly that – doing the kind of work that many people do not enjoy. We work with people who are difficult and who have very complicated stories. we work with teenagers carrying deep wounds and immense pain, with families that are struggling and seem to have lost all hope, with people who have believed the lies that they are complete failures. Some of the people we serve are difficult to be around on some days because of the situations they are facing.
But what stood out to me the most was this: we must be willing to serve those who cannot repay us.
I am sure that most of the individuals, teenagers and families that we work with cannot repay us for all the work we have done. Even if they wanted to, their current circumstances simply do not allow it. Sometimes we center our motivation on seeing change and results in people, but we forget that our work-our service – is done for God. He is the one who brings transformation in people’s lives, not us. And when we truly understand that, then whatever service we offer, wherever we offer it, will bring a deep sense of personal fulfillment.
As Colossians 3:34 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
If Christ remains the focus in everything we do, then everything we do will have meaning. Whether we help clean an area of the program, welcome people at the entrance, drive clients somewhere, teach a workshop, listen to a struggling teenager, teach an adult to read and write, clean the bathrooms after shower times, distribute food and hygiene supples, answer a phone call, give a hug, walk alongside someone, supervise, or cook for them – every one of these actions takes on profound significance.
Why?
Because these are things that most people would not do for them. And we do not do these things to glorify ourselves or to appear great because we do “amazing” things. We do them because Jesus taught us that this is how it should be done.
Jesus was the ultimate example of service, sacrifice and love. And no, none of us can ever repay Him for what He did for us.
Working at MTES with a clear purpose is a lifestyle of service. I do not feel that we are simply fulfilling a job or completing a workday. I feel that I am able to serve God through everything we do.
