Most people don't aspire to be the entry-level grunt. We want to be the freakin' manager. We want the office next to the window and the big paycheck. However, the path to get there can often get hairy. In corporate America, advancement normally comes through careful office politics and the occasional backstab to get ahead of the competition.

Jesus, the son of God, who had every right to be served, came to serve us instead. His focus wasn't to dominate the world, but to change it, to fix it, to love it. He did this by serving others.

Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, taking care of the sick—these were things Jesus told his followers to do. And the vast majority of his followers didn't have deep pockets. They weren't doctors or lawyers. They were normal, everyday people.

To serve others meant that they would need to sacrifice their own comfort, way of living and expectations of what their life "should" be.

When ancient cities encountered plagues, it was believers who stayed behind to care for the sick and dying, often at the cost of their own lives. It was believers who started hospitals to ensure that the medical needs of communities were met. It was believers who gathered orphans into homes so that children would receive the proper care and attention they needed. It was believers who were on the forefront of public education, foreign medical aid, businesses that benefited employees as well as the employers, and the list goes on and on.

This attitude of serving others is one of the reasons why the early church grew so quickly. We believe it's still key today.

To be clear, we're not telling you to break into a quarantine zone to care for those with some sort of flesh-eating virus (even though it'd be kinda badass if you did). Sometimes the most powerful ways to serve others is through seemingly small actions—buying a meal for someone in need, listening to your coworker who is hurting, or paying a compliment to the gas station attendant.

From standing in the rain to park cars on the weekend, to traveling across the world to dig wells and build schools; from getting up extra early to serve coffee to forming relationships with inmates in local prisons; from leading in Kids Club to donating time at a local pregnancy center, nearly everything Crossroads does is powered by this spirit of service.

Actions speak louder than words, and around here, we are serious about focusing those actions toward others. Not only does it change their lives, but as you step into the high-octane life of purpose modeled by Jesus, it will change yours as well.