JANUARY 25, 2024

LAKESHORE FRIENDS—

If you have ever watched tennis, you know how important it is to hit your very first shot well; your serve.  Hit it well enough and the other person can’t even hit it in return.  That’s called an ace.  The average pro tennis player gets around 10-15 aces per match.  I found out that a player named John Isner holds the record for the most aces in an entire tournament at 214, which he accomplished during the 2018 Wimbledon tournament.  Wow!  When you get these aces, it makes winning easier because you do less hitting and running and competing with the volleys that follow.  So you’d think that great tennis players would work to improve their serve if they want to be the best they can be.

If you go to a nice restaurant, you evaluate your experience on the food, the environment, and the service.  When you have a great server, you walk away impressed and satisfied by the experience.

More important than these are the way we serve others.  It doesn’t take great athletic prowess like in tennis, but it does take a desire to serve and get better at serving.  When we serve others in God’s love, we do the kind of serving that satisfies everyone involved.  God loves it, people are benefitted by it, and we find satisfaction in it… if we do it with the right pieces in place.

"When we serve in God's love, we do the kind of serving that satisfies everyone involved."

How well do you serve others in your world?  Do you serve your family well?  Do you serve people at work with a smile?  Do you serve God’s people at church?  How can you learn to do it better?  I’ll try to answer those questions on Sunday. 

In the meantime, learn to ask this question in your everyday life: how can I improve my serve?  You’ll find that true greatness will follow.

Warmly,
Vince