Tag: serving others

The Least of These

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'” (Matthew 25: 31 – 40)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

When Jesus returns, He will establish His perfect Kingdom upon the Earth. Those who have been obedient will inherit everlasting life; whereas the disobedient will experience eternal judgement. In this scripture Christ establishes a remarkable truth. When we feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, show hospitality toward strangers, clothe the naked, and visit those who are sick and in prison, we are exhibiting a genuine love for God. Acts of kindness toward others are equivalent to the displays of affection we direct toward Jesus Christ Himself. In short, serving others and serving God are identical. The degree of love we exhibit toward others is an exact reflection of our love for God.

Concerning affection, a little boy once declared that he loved his mother “with all his strength.” He was asked to explain what he meant by “with all his strength.” He said: “Well, I’ll tell you. You see, we live on the fourth floor of this tenement; and there’s no elevator, and the coal is kept down in the basement. Mother is busy all the time, and she isn’t very strong; so I see to it that the coal hold is never empty. I lug the coal up four flights of stairs all by myself. And it’s a pretty big hold. It takes all my strength to get it up here. Now isn’t that loving my mother with all my strength?”

This little boy’s affection for his mother was remarkable. Similarly, we as believers possess a monumental adoration for our Eternal Father. When we love God with all our strength, we will love and serve others in a similar manner. Today there are endless opportunities to serve The Lord, by simply serving and providing for the needs of our fellows. We can serve our families, our friends, our coworkers, our acquaintances, and even complete strangers. In so doing, the presence of God will be revealed in us, and the light of Christ will shine forth for all to see.

“Lord Heavenly Father, You are an awesome and amazing God; worthy of all honor and glory. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, that we might love You with all our strength and remain obedient to Your will. May we serve You by serving our fellows; knowing that our love for them is equivalent to our love for You. We cherish You Lord, we praise You, and we thank You; and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name we pray. Amen.” God bless all of you!

Serving Others

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

Just before the Passover feast, on the night that Jesus was arrested, he knelt down and washed His disciples feet. We read, ‘So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? You call Me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.'” —Jesus— (John 13: 12 – 17)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

During the first century, nearly everyone wore sandals. The roads and pathways were comprised of small stones and dirt; making daily foot washing an indispensable necessity. Servants and low ranking members a house were usually called upon to accomplish this filthy task. And yet Jesus, being the Son of God, lowered Himself down and washed His disciples feet; creating an example for all those who may desire to follow Him. Being a Christian means embracing a life of humility and selflessness. Rather than seeking to be served, we must strive to serve others. And in turn, we will experience the joy derived from emulating our Lord and Savior.

There once lived an influential evangelical preacher named Gypsy Smith. One day he recounted the story of a woman who was interested in Christian work in London. She wrote him a letter stating, “I have a meeting I want you to come to speak to. It is only a small meeting and will take nothing of you.” He answered, “I cannot come, and it would be of no use if I did come. If it takes nothing out of me it will do nobody any good.” It is service which costs, and a cheap religion is not worth preaching […] Another Christian missionary named E. Stanley Jones once said, “The man is not greatest who has the greatest number of servants, but the man is greatest who serves the greatest number of people.”

Serving others represents the foundation of Christ’s earthly ministry. To follow Jesus is to embrace a life of selflessness and service. If we let go of our own wants and desires, we can more resoundingly accomplish God’s will in this place. Jesus said in verse 17, “if you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” The word ‘blessed’ generally refers to the happiness that accompanies God’s favor. And so He promises that a service oriented life will bring us more joy than a self-centered existence ever could. By serving others we can know God’s blessings.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we pray for the strength and desire to live a life of service; to sacrifice for Your kingdom and Your glory. May we lay down our selfish concerns to better represent Jesus Christ; that we too might be an example of Your love in this place. May we care for our fellows, may we serve others, and may we receive the blessings that accompany genuine Christian living. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!

The Second Mile

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

    “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’  But I tell you not to resist an evil person.  But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to everyone who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away” (Mathew 5: verse 38 – 42.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

    In the first century A.D. the Roman army occupied the Holy Land.  As conquerors they were afforded certain privileges.  One legal provision gave every Roman soldier the right to compel any Jewish citizen to carry their equipment for up too, but not in excess of, one mile.  Jesus used this commonly understood law to impress upon His followers the importance of serving others in abundance.  When a soldier asked them to carry a load one mile, Jesus instructed them to carry it two miles.  Simply put, accomplishing the bare minimum proves little; instead, the genuine love of God is made manifest when we exceed the demands, requests, and expectations of others.

    A number of years ago, a very influential Pastor named Chuck Smith went to be with the Lord.  He was 86 years old and had been battling cancer for some time.  When initially diagnosed, he began a regimen of radiation and chemotherapy.  These treatments coupled with his age, made him unsteady on his feet.  I was asked to accompany him to and from his daily radio program to prevent him from falling. Once the program had ended, we would get into his golf cart and head back to the church office.  On the way he would drive around the campus picking up garbage; he would also stop to talk to anyone in need.  One day a woman approached him in tears.  She explained that her marriage was suffering and that she had left messages with another pastor concerning counseling; however he had never returned her calls.  Pastor Chuck lovingly encouraged and comforted the woman; he then told her to speak to his secretary about setting up a counseling appointment with him later that week.  I was amazed that a man in his 80’s with lung cancer, undergoing radiation and chemotherapy was still out-serving many youthful, strong, and seemingly healthy on staff pastors.

    Like Pastor Chuck, Jesus has called all of His children to go the second mile; we must love others in abundance; we must give to one another more than is needed or required; we must serve our fellows with great intensity, sincerity, and passion.  Through our actions, others can and will come to know the mercy and love of God.  If we are obedient and continue to give glory and honor to the Lord, we will come to know the blessings of unending joy and everlasting peace.

    “Lord Heavenly Father, may we go the second mile.  May we serve and love others in abundance.  Use us to reveal Your love to the world.  Increase our faith and fill us with Your Holy Spirit, that we might accomplish Your will in this place, and bring honor to Your sacred Name.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you!