Are you a Volunteer or Servant

For two years I’ve been going back and forth about whether to drive the ambulance for the Short Gap Volunteer Fire Company.  It would require me to join the fire company and take a weekend driving course.  My hesitancy has been that I know what kind of volunteer I would be.  I would be a part time, part time driver.  I would be a backup driver who an EMT or paramedic would call upon if they do not have a driver.  I would be the last resort.  The bottom like is that I would be a partially committed volunteer.*

A lot of pastors talk about volunteering in the church.  I once heard a pastor say that Jesus does not have volunteers.  He said Jesus has servants.  A volunteer has options and sometimes even receives an award or a recognition.  A servant has a Master and responsibilities to that Master, and deflects recognition.  If someone is a volunteer in the church, they are more likely to see their time, money, and talents as theirs to give when it is convenient.  If one considers themselves a servant of the Savior, they give of their time, money, and talents at times whenever the Master wants.  Convenience does not play into the decision making process for servants.

Sometimes it would behoove us as followers of Jesus to ask ourselves if we see ourselves as a volunteer or a servant for Jesus in and through the Church.

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*-Today’s post is directed toward followers of Jesus and not toward the volunteers at any volunteer organization.  I applaud volunteers at volunteer organizations, and the Short Gap Volunteer Fire Company has some of the most committed people I’ve ever met.  And they could use you to help them out by joining their efforts.