Service

By Misha Rosario

I’ve always looked at love as more than a feeling, but an action—something that needs to be done. Some of the greatest acts of love are done by those who are continuously performing small acts of kindness. As christians, we are called to be like Christ. Every opportunity to serve is an opportunity to be like Jesus. It says in the word of God, “Just as the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many,“ (Matthew 20:28). While the world may define greatness as eminence, in this passage, Jesus teaches his disciples that true greatness comes from serving others humbly and sacrificially, which is something we as a family strive to do. 

"Just as the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. “ Matthew 20:28

I’ve always admired my family for that—each person in this unit has such a beautiful servant’s heart, constantly thinking about and putting the needs of others ahead of themselves. And although our heart for God’s people is great, our love for our Father is greater. Serving His people is such an honor and privilege because we are serving Him. Growing up, my dad was an advocate for doing everything together as a family. Whether it was creating a “human chain” to bring in the many grocery bags after a long Costco trip or blasting worship music and having Saturday morning “G.I. Parties” to clean the entire house, we were always doing everything together. My parents were masterful in turning the mundane into magic by making every opportunity to serve one another so fun. We were kids so of course we would complain sometimes, but in hindsight, serving each other was a highlight of my childhood. Being so young at the time, I didn’t realize how important that was for the UNITY of our family. And because of that unity, serving together in our local church was never even a question.

For my family and I, the way we serve together is through Worship. My parents started off as the worship leaders for New Hope Mililani and as their children, we naturally followed in their footsteps and adopted that passion for worship. I had no clue we would take over what they worked so hard to build, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to do so. Don’t get me wrong, being able to serve as an individual is great. There have been so many things that I’ve done for people that fill me up with so much joy to this day. But there truly is something so powerful about serving together as a family unit. When I think about the different ways we have served together and the impact that we’ve made so far, I can’t help but get emotional and filled to the brim with gratitude. Being able to help people grow in their faith, find their purpose, and build community as a family is a reward I will never take for granted. 

The people in this family, in YOUR family, were individually designed, beautifully handcrafted, with a specific purpose. But when you are all working together to serve God’s people, you’re making room for the Manifest Presence of God to drop in that situation and God will work so many miracles in and through you. When we serve together as a family, it’s not only fun, but it pleases our Heavenly Father.

I mentioned this word earlier: gratitude. In a world that focuses on the climb, gratitude is the pause that cherishes the view. There were many moments where serving became something that was draining for me. Through mentorship, I learned that things become draining when the expectations become more flesh focused than faith focused. Having a grateful heart helps to keep my eyes set on the blessings God has in front of me so that my mindset is “I get to” rather than “I have to.” We GET to serve the Lord. We GET to serve His people.  At the end of this life, I want nothing more than to look at the eyes of my father and hear Him say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” Keep your eyes fixed on the truth that serving is an opportunity to be more like Christ, and when we serve from a place of gratitude, especially with the people in your family, the manifest presence of God will move so mightily through you and lives will be transformed.