Jacob- Serve
“Since I was a little boy, I can recall going to church and believing I knew God. At the age of eleven I was baptized by water and I thought that was the finish line. I thought I did all I needed to do as a Christian and I had no desire to have a true relationship with Jesus. I continued to live a double life, appearing to love God to some people, but in reality, I was constantly breaking his heart with my selfish and prideful lifestyle. By the time I went to college, I left my Bible at home and I had no intentions of discovering what it truly meant to follow and believe in God, but in my first year that’s exactly what happened!
After attending Chi Alpha services for a couple of months, I was introduced to the idea of these “Rowdy Serve” trips and instantly I was hesitant. I considered if spending the money or time was worth it, but after some convincing by my small group leader and Jesus continuously seeking me out, I decided to just GO. So in a small city called Llano, Texas The Lord truly revealed so many things to me. I met new people that I now consider lifelong friends, I made memories that will forever be engraved in my heart, and I learned what it truly meant to serve others and the Lord. I realized that the greatest way to serve others is by giving them your time and revealing to them Christ’s love and His desire to be in their lives.
One night during our devotion time, a dear friend of mine spoke on what a true Christian birth should look like. This began to convict me, because my Christian birth eight years prior looked nothing like it. James 2:26 says “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” I believe that my decision to spend my spring break serving, and vulnerability with the Holy Spirit, allowed for Jesus to move in my heart. Which eventually led to my decision to seriously rededicate my life to serving him.
Through the decision I made on this trip I began to realize that serving God is not an obligation or a chore, but rather a privilege. Mark 10:45 says "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The Son of God who is so powerful and could’ve had or done anything He pleased while here on earth, chose to serve the Father joyfully. Jesus surrendered and dedicated His entire life to being a living sacrifice in order to do the will of the Father, not out of obligation, but out of pure love! I pray that through our love for God we will find utter joy in serving Him each and every day.
Jesus says, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few.” The harvest is not limited to far off lands, but the harvest is right here in Texas, and I believe that through these Rowdy Serve trips we can sow seeds locally that, through God’s grace, will eventually reap gardens globally. So I challenge anyone considering going on a Rowdy Serve trip to just GO, because without a doubt, the experiences and memories you’ll create will be priceless and will leave you feeling as if you were the one being served.”