The Spiritual Discipline of Service: Becoming the Living Expression of God’s Kindness

By Meridith Mitchellweiler

In light of what the world is currently facing, the beauty of the spiritual discipline of service is striking. I don’t know about you, but when I think about service, I often become stymied. I feel like the troubles of this world, of my community, are so big that anything I do is merely a drop in a leaking bucket. As I reflected on service as a spiritual discipline, I was reminded that service is not about what we do, but rather about who we are. We are a people loved by God, who, out of response, want to show that love to those around us.

Acts of service gently guide our hearts towards humility. When we become servants, as Richard Foster says, “we give up the right to be in charge.” We become “available and vulnerable.” Jesus, as our ultimate example of what it means to be humble and vulnerable before God, made his ministry on earth all about the “other.” Jesus served because it was what he was called to do, it was part of his very nature. 

There are many ways we can practice the spiritual discipline of service. We can volunteer at medical clinics, serve meals to those in need, or take a neighbor to the grocery store. These types of service are all conducted in the open where we can see our impact, which is meaningful and rewarding, but what struck me the most this week is what Foster calls “hidden service.” This type of service is conducted in the background and often goes unnoticed. Foster says, “It is a ministry that can be engaged in frequently by all people. It sends ripples of joy and celebration through any community of people.” I can certainly attest to the fact that when someone goes out of their way to show kindness to me, I’m inspired to go out and do the same. Service doesn’t have to be out in the open to be impactful. If service is about the other, about humility, it doesn’t matter how small or unnoticeable the act is. 

With the fear and anxiety surrounding the coronavirus, I keep thinking about how we are uniquely positioned to serve one another. The simple acts of washing our hands thoroughly and staying home when possible can quite literally save the lives of those around us. By engaging in these hidden acts of service we can protect our grandparents, a friend with asthma, or the stranger going through chemotherapy. At this unusual point in time, our small acts of service have the capacity to change the world. What a poignant example of what happens when we all put each other first. 

Mother Teresa captured the essence of service when she said “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.” I invite each of us this week to ask, how can we leave our neighbor better, happier?