Read this story and then ask yourself about the seriousness of the inward discipline of Service.
The Pony Express was a private express company that carried mail by an organized relay of horseback riders. The eastern end was St. Joseph, Missouri, and the western terminal was in Sacremento, CA. The cost of sending a letter was $2.50 an ounce. If the weather and horses held out and the Indians held off, that letter would complete the entire 2,000-mile journey in a speedy 10-days, as did the report of Lincoln’s Inaugural Address… The Pony Express lasted from April, 1860 – Nov. 1861… Being a rider for the Pony Express was a tough job. You were expected to ride 75-100 miles a day, changing horses every 15-20 miles. Other than mail, the only baggage you carried contained a kit of flour, cornmeal, and bacon. In case of danger, you also had a medical pack of turpentine, borax and cream of tartar. In order to travel light and to increase speed of mobility during Indian attacks, the men always rode in shirtsleeves, even during the fierce winter weather… How would you recruit volunteers for this hazardous job? An 1860 newspaper printed this ad for the Pony Express: “Wanted: Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over 18. Must be expert riders willing to risk daily. Orphans preferred.” The Pony Express never had a shortage of riders.
I love this story and the reason I love it is because it tells a story about sacrifice. I don't have Webster's in front of me currently so I can't give you a "real" definition of sacrifice, so let me give you my own. Sacrifice to me is the willingness to completely invest in something greater then us. Sometimes it's an investment in something that does not provide a final chapter. You know what I mean? An ending that is visible. We are very willing to invest in something that provides an "end in sight," but not so much when we can't see the final outcome.
Now take the inward discipline of Service and mix it with Sacrifice and what you get is Sacrificial Service. Sacrificial Service inside and outside the church should be regarded as that pearl in Matthew 13. It was of such great value that the person purchasing it sold everything else in order to obtain it. I find that service should be valued in the same way when we connect our service to Christ. It then becomes sacrificial not just enjoyable. You see, far to many people today serve the kingdom because they find it enjoyable instead of sacrificial.
This last weekend I went back to a church I served for many years. It was an enjoyable reunion to see all of the faces of people I had the chance to work with and serve with, and to see all the kids who are now having their own kids. What I noticed more then anything, however, was the faces of leadership. The people who once were fans, now were participants, servants, leaders.
I am sure there have been times that they found their service not so enjoyable, but understood that the mission of Christ takes into account sacrifice. Sacrifice that desires to see the power of Christ to transform. Most of us don't serve sacrificially because very little sacrifice went into our own transformation in our relationship to Christ. So, we don't serve with the same energy that might be needed to transform our neighbor who desperately wants to see and meet Christ in a transformational and incarnational way. Sacrificial service will ask us to push aside our own enjoyment and be reminded of Whom we are serving, and while we diligently serve be reminded of Christ's power to diligently use some really sorry seed that we lay down. I know, sounds a bit harsh, but I too need to be reminded that Christ is the audience in everything I do and I am only the servant caring out his plan in a way that lies beyond my own imagination.
Can't wait to hear from you.
Randy
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