May I Serve?

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Proverb 3:27, 28   Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so.  Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back and tomorrow I will give it to you,” when you have it with you

Matthew 5:42   Give him to who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

Philippians 2:4-5   Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus

Galatians 6:2   Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Hebrews 13:16   But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Titus 1:16   They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work

Titus 3:1   Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work.

Titus 3: 8    This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.

James 2:15-17    If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?  Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead

James 2:26   For as the body without spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also..

James 4:17    Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin

 

Hmm, with the number of verses dealing with helping and giving to others (not just financial, but time, service, encouragement, etc), I’d say it’s abundantly clear, He wants us to serve others in much the same way He and then His disciples served.

God wants us to become new creatures, casting out our evil, selfish, self centered ways, and becoming loving and giving, eager  to be serving others who need.  There are so many people who seem to be natural givers.  Mother Theresa, Carrie ten Bloom, and many others, including a couple within my own family.  I feel like a Cretan compared to them.  (And yes, I know I am not supposed to compare!) 

So many passages remind us to do for others; get up, off your duff and do.  He doesn’t want us just being mouthpieces, claiming we believe in Him and want to do right, and then largely doing NOTHING.  There are always folks worse off than you and you can lend a hand; certainly not necessarily money.  (In fact, I am abundantly blessed.)  But you can read to elderly persons who can no longer see well enough to, spend time in a library reading to a children’s group, maybe help a young student just learning and having a little problem with math or reading, or some other subject you are good at; you can volunteer to give a young mother a break by babysitting her children so she can go shopping or have an afternoon to herself, perhaps you can mow someone’s lawn, maybe you can make cupcakes when it’s a neighbor’s turn to bake them for her child’s class—and it is one more stress she does not need.  Perhaps you can volunteer to pick up groceries for an ill or elderly neighbor.  The point is, we all can help others, should help others, and not just see a need and walk past it.  Actually do something to help.

I ask God to open my eyes to opportunities to help, and when I hear of a need, I try to act.  But I don’t actively seek those opportunities, and that is one area I would like to see change in my life.  There are so many things I could do if I knew of the need.  But I think I need to step out and find the needs.  

I know several from my church who routinely step out.  It’s perhaps time for me to hold onto their shirt-tails until I find the avenues to walk and serve.  If I can mention several areas of helping others, I ought to be able to find the persons who need those services.  

There are many different ways you can find opportunities.  You can check with your church—members may know of another member who is ill or needing help, the grocery store sometimes allows folks to put up cards with a request of help, deacons at church are also good resources, one can check at hospitals or you can look at local chapters of Meals on Wheels, elderly facilities such as memory care, nursing homes, and so forth.  You can volunteer at a local Salvation Army, Good Will, Food Bank, and so many more resources.  It might take some exploring through internet for local opportunities, but they are there.   I’ve decided I have sat back long enough waiting for opportunities to present themselves, but I need to step out and seek.

Thank You, Lord, for reminding me of persons from my church for me to reach out and get information.  Take me out of my selfish ways to reach out.  It is so much better to give than to sit and wait…Thank You for all You have done to guide me and ‘mybellaviews.’