From Gary Chapman's A Marriage Vine

Today's Focus: Developing My Serve

How do you develop an attitude of service if you grew up in a home where it was "dog-eat-dog?" We all have visions of a husband who freely asks his wife: "What could I do to help you tonight?" And wives who ask: "How could I make your life easier this week?" The fact is, many of us grew up in homes where we had to fight to survive. We really did not learn to appreciate the value of serving others.

Yet, the Christian message is that we serve Christ by serving others (Col. 3:23). So, how do we develop this attitude? This week I’d like to suggest some ways to do this. Let’s start with your family of origin – the family you grew up in. On a scale of 0 – 10, how would you rate your father on having an attitude of service toward your mother? Ten means that he was almost Christ-like. Now rate your mother. How well did she demonstrate an attitude of service? Now let's make it personal. Are you more like your father? Or more like your mother? How would you rate yourself? Do you have a lot of room for growth? Or, are you serving Christ by serving your spouse?