Serving others is exhilarating – and messy. I was recently part of a small group who served a meal to the residents of a missions home filled with people struggling through a variety of issues. There were messes as we served, but with each mess came an opportunity. We could choose on which to focus.

While we prepared much of the food ahead of time, there were some things we needed to get done once we arrived. We were working in an unfamiliar kitchen with very basic supplies. We could have gotten frustrated with disorganization and haphazard searches – or ask people for help and begin to build relationships.

The children in the home were very excited to see us. They wanted to do everything right alongside us. We could have become frustrated with the interruptions of our work. We could have demanded privacy. We could have asked the parents to supervise their kids. Or we could let parents have a break and make the experience a learning opportunity for the kids. We could be brief role models in their lives.

The cleanliness of the home didn’t measure up to the housekeeping standards most of us who were serving have in our own homes. We could refuse to eat or give hugs for fear of a germ – or set aside our own issues and fully grasp the opportunity to share a meal and talk around the dinner tables with people. We were invading their space. We were serving, which means we shouldn’t impose our own structure on others. We should simply walk alongside them for a brief time, meeting them where they are.

Conversations were messy. People wanted to talk long after the meal. Topics were outside our norm. Parenting styles were rough around the edges. We could impose our own standards of communication onto everyone for our own comfort – or respect people whose home we were visiting and set aside personal discomfort.

When you serve others, prepare to get your hands dirty. When you meet people where they are, you’re going to end up in some messy places with messy people. And you can’t clean up everything and everybody. Service is sacrificial, and in order to effectively reach others, you need to set aside your sterilized gloves, color-coded appointment book, and personal preferences. Service isn’t about you – except your obedience.

How will you obediently serve today?

Serve the Lord with joy. (Psalm 100:2)