Hard to Swallow

Sometimes Scripture hits you right at that sweetest spot.  It is refreshing, like taking a long, cool drink when your mouth has been feeling like there is a piece of felt attached to your tongue.  Sometimes it is like one of those giant horse pills.  You look at it and just don't see how it is going to get inside of you.  That's what happened to me today.  I was right in the middle of feeling so grumpy and entitled and God gave me this horse pill:

"just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many." 

-Mt. 20:28

People always encourage you to memorize Scripture because when you need it, it's there, in your heart, in every situation that you would need it.  Well, that's all fine and good if it's a Scripture that is going to be like one of those cool drinks, but it's a little bit tougher when it's a horse pill.  God was trying to make me take it, and I just didn't want to.  He tried to mash it up in some honey.  Tried to give me some encouraging words to make it go down.  Tried to distract me with humor and other things.  Even provided some chocolate at work, as if that was going to make the medicine easier to swallow.  In the end, my stubborn heart just didn't want to hear that message today.  I am finding it a hard thing to deal with that to be more like Christ I need to continue to serve and serve until my life runs out.  Serve when it's easy.  Serve when it's hard.  Serve when I don't get anything back.  Serve when no one notices.  Serve when no one serves me.  Serve in the morning, serve in the noon time, serve, serve, serve.  "God, are you sure there's no way out of me swallowing this one?"  My question was met with my tears and His silent insistence.  Sometimes you just have to close your eyes, hold your nose, and just will it to go down.  I think I'm getting to that point.