Thursday, July 24, 2014

31 Days of Joy: Serve Others in Love

“Often the best way to see the needs of others is to stop looking at our own.”
- -Kristen Welch



Serve others in love.
A servant is one who is under submission to another. For Christians, this means submission to God first, and then submission to one another. A servant is one who helps to meet the needs of the person he is serving. It means willingly giving of oneself to do whatever it takes to accomplish what is best for another. Mothers serve their children. Pastors serve their congregation. A business man serves his customers. God calls you to a service far beyond anything you could ever imagine. You were put on Earth to make a contribution. You weren't created just to consume resources — to eat, breath, and take up space. God designed you to make a difference with your life. God wants you to give something back. The Bible says, “In our union with Christ Jesus He has created us for a life of good deeds, which He has already prepared for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). These “good deeds” are your service to the world.Whenever you serve others in any way, you are actually serving God and fulfilling one of your purposes. Love is an action - not so much a feeling, but it’s what you say and do. Serving in love means helping someone because you honestly want to; not grudgingly or because you are expecting anything in return. Whatever we are doing we should be doing it “for the Lord and not for men" because ”our inheritance" will ultimately come from Jesus Christ. Jesus said "if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward”. (Matt 10:42) Even though we are not physically serving Jesus, when we serve another person here on earth, it’s like giving Jesus a cold drink of water. What we do for others, Jesus sees it as doing it for Him. Many times we think that helping only comes in the form of cash donations, and this is not true. We serve others by giving our time, our advice, or even a shoulder to cry on. Serving in love comes in many forms. Some people choose to visit the sick. Maybe you can serve by running errands for someone who is unable to. Perhaps you can offer to share your umbrella with a stranger on a rainy day. Find a way to be a blessing to someone else, and the Lord will smile upon you.

Focus Scriptures:
Colossians 3:12
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

Colossians 3:23-24
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:24
Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.

Galatians 5:13
For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.


Joy in Action Today:
Task yourself to complete a good deed today. Don't tell anyone about it, just do it. Once it is done, thank God for enabling you to be a blessing to someone else.