The Road Of Service

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ne afternoon on my way to work, I passed a sign on the Interstate that I had seen several times but never really noticed.  Sound familiar?  I always “see” things but only take “notice” of them later.  This sign was not extraordinary; in fact it was very simple and plain.  It bore a simple message:  Entrance to Service Road.  That was the message, a mere set of simple directions with an arrow indicating where people should exit if they wanted to take the service access.

The problem was that very few, if any cars, were taking that exit.  Most of the cars zoomed right by the sign, not even giving it a minute’s notice.  Yet, that sign stood faithfully there, displaying its message for the few people who would dare venture down this road. 

            As I glanced down the exit, I noticed that the service road paralleled the Interstate.  It had a few twists and turns and the surface was not as smooth as the one covering the main highway.  In addition, there were fewer lanes and they were closer together and the service road contained traffic lights.  This would mean more stops and a slower drive for those on the service road than for those taking the faster, more convenient Interstate.

What a message for us today.  In life, we are always in the fast lane.  We always want to get where we are going as quickly as possible and it doesn’t matter whom we pass in order to get there.  We change lanes at will, jockeying for a better position so we can save ourselves the trouble and the hassle of contending with traffic jams and slow drivers.  Whenever we make plans for our future, they always contain the fast track and rarely if ever, do we take a side road.  We zip down life’s path at blinding speed, passing all the exits for service roads, taking them only when our path is blocked and there is no other option available to us.

This is exactly the opposite of Christ’s command for our lives.  Jesus always took the service road, never the main highway!  He always encouraged his disciples to serve others, never to be served themselves.  He taught them that the way of salvation was the straight and narrow path, not the main thoroughfare.  His example showed them that the service road always parallels life’s main highway.  It has more stops, more turns, and its lanes are narrower.  Jesus also pointed out that the road of service is always open because so few choose to follow it.

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ow long has it been since you got off the main highway onto the service road?  Are you barreling down life’s highway today trying to get ahead of the guy in front?  Are you so intent on the road ahead that you miss the signs telling you of your opportunities to serve others?  Let the words of Jesus in Mark 10:43-45 serve as your invitation to get off the main road and onto the road of service today:  "But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”