Jubilee (2) 

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus
(Philippians 2:3-5)

 
In a recent blog post, Kate Thornton reflected on how the Queen’s Christian faith has been a guide and inspiration for both her personal and professional life. On her 21st Birthday, the Queen gave a message to the Commonwealth, in which she said
 

“I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong. But I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in it with me, as I now invite you to do: I know that your support will be unfailingly given. God help me to make good my vow, and God bless all of you who are willing to share in it.”
 

The recent Platinum Jubilee celebrations were an opportunity to celebrate and give thanks for the Queen’s life of service, and for the wonderful way in which she has brought to life the promise she made back in 1947. Her strong faith has often shone through in things she has said, and her promise was so much more than merely echoing what she felt a member of the Royal Family should do. Instead, she has continually recognised that Jesus calls all His followers to serve, and that He gave them an example to follow:
 
… whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 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 (Mark 10:43-45)
 
We are unlikely to end up serving in the extraordinary ways that the Queen has, but we are nevertheless called to serve. And it can be very costly. It may mean laying aside other things we would prefer to do; we may be taken advantage of or misunderstood; we may receive little or no thanks for what we do. St Ignatius captured this well in one of his prayers:
 
Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest; to labour and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do your will.
 
Where we serve and how we serve may well change over the years. But we need to be continually open to what God wants us to do, ready to be His hands and feet at home, at work, at church, in our local community. He has gifted each of us uniquely, and calls us to use those gifts. So how is God calling you to serve now?
 
So let us learn how to serve, and in our lives enthrone Him;
Each other's needs to prefer, for it is Christ we're serving.
This is our God, the Servant King; He calls us now to follow Him,
To bring our lives as a daily offering of worship to the Servant King.