Selfishness is demolished when we take on the form of a servant.

Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of what we are supposed to be. If the God of Heaven can humble Himself and become a man . . . If a sinless life can take on the sin of the world . . . If perfection can love imperfection . . . If the King of Kings can live as a servant . . . How can we complain about anything that God would ask of us?

As a sophomore in high school, I joined the juniors and seniors on a trip to an orphanage in Mexico for eight days of serving. We built a church for the community and played with children who had experienced more suffering in their first four or five years than I will likely ever know. Yet, they had as much, if not more, joy in their hearts than I did. It teemed out of them in a way that you couldn’t miss, even if you tried to.

During our trip, we visited with an old man who felt the call of God on his life to sell all that he had, which was only a few pigs, and to use his land to build a church out of cardboard boxes. He had done as God told him. I cannot even guess at how long it had been since he had showered or changed his clothes but, his heart was pure and Christ was pouring out of it.

Coming from an upper middle class background, that trip was a life changing experience for me. It taught me about humility and about joy in suffering. In short, it was a giant stepping-stone in the journey I am on to become the servant that God has called me to be. The first step is demolishing selfishness. It’s a step that has to be taken all over again each day of my life. If you’re a Christian, you are called to be on this same journey. We all are. The only difference between us is that God allows each of us to get there by travelling on different roads.