Health and wellness retailer GNC Holdings recently launched a new national brand campaign called “Beat Average.” The campaign is designed to open a conversation with health and wellness consumers about their daily personal wellness goals and how GNC can be their ongoing partner and ally in beating average.

The Free Dictionary details numerous definitions for average including “The usual or ordinary kind or quality.”   Hmm.  Not so good.

Jesus calls us to “beat average.”  He calls us to greatness.  He calls us to service. Mark 10:43 (MSG) says, “Whoever wants to be great must become a servant.” But how do we serve?      1 Peter 4:11 (NASB) says, “Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Too often we are afraid to serve God.  He might call us to the wilds of Africa, the streets of some remote area in Thailand, the jungles of Brazil or, Heaven forbid, some un-air-conditioned place with outside plumbing. And He might call us to have to walk miles in the scorching sun, miss a few showers and eat some unidentifiable food.  Or He might have us trade in household treasures, luxury vehicles and fancy clothes for a mud hut, a pair of walking shoes and only 2 or 3 changes of clothing.  Well, guess what; He might!  Sometimes those are just the kinds of places and kinds of situations He calls us to.

But rarely.

Most often He calls us to small acts of service right in our homes, our churches, our neighborhoods and our work places.  To love a child.  To lend a hand to a struggling mother.  To encourage a jobless father.  To share a kind word with a stranger.  To speak appreciatively to service workers such as policemen and postal workers.  To demonstrate patience with an overworked waitress.  To help your neighbor carry groceries in from the car.

Every act of service demonstrates the love of Christ.  Every act of service is an act of greatness.

Will you beat average this week?  Will you be great?  Will you serve? (Please post a comment sharing your service experiences.)

And don’t forget – serve the Lord with gladness! (Psalm 100:2 NASB)