He Came To Serve

For as long as I can remember my church invites our neighboring friends to Community Day each Memorial Day. All-American hotdogs, chips, bags of popcorn, cookies, sticky cotton candy, bounce houses, pony rides, animal shows, and prizes! This yearly event invites families to enjoy a fun time at no cost. Though the day has had its changes over the years, many of the same people, including me, have volunteered on that day from its very beginning.

This year, however, was different for me. Because a special graduation took us near Chicago to visit our friends, for the first time, I was not able to volunteer on Community Day. I missed being there. I missed seeing friends I only have opportunity to connect with at these community events. I missed being involved in this fun ministry with my church family. Yet as I reflect upon our time away, I loved the ministry our family enjoyed while in Chicago. I was invited into food preparation, decorating, and preparing for the graduation party. My husband, Greg, joined in singing with the worship team on Sunday. Most of all, my best friend and I enjoyed a time of encouraging one another as we spent time together. We both came away refreshed.

Often ministry leads us various places and changes with seasons of life. Jesus came to this earth to minister. Paul reminds us in Philippians 2 that Jesus did not come to be served but to serve and give His life because of His love for us. Though Jesus’ greatest act of love and sacrifice was through His death on the cross, His sacrificial love was also shown while He walked this earth. Jesus began his ministry after calling his twelve disciples, and He did not stay in one place or perform the same acts of love.

“And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.” (Matthew 4:23-25)

Jesus healed sickness and disease, cast out demons, fed multitudes physically and spiritually, and brought the dead to life. Jesus took time to make children feel special. He taught people how to live, how to pray, but mostly He showed love. Everything Jesus did was because of love. He wanted people to understand His love and trust Him to the salvation He would offer when He gave His life on the cross.

Can you serve as Jesus did? Maybe you cannot do all the things He did for people, but through His life, Jesus taught believers how to serve. Look out for the interests of others and see how you can meet their needs. Be involved in what is offered at church, get to know your neighbors, show kindness to a stranger, or simply pray for others. Whether a big community event, leading worship, taking a meal, washing dishes, or holding a door, all should be done through a heart of love that guides others to our Lord and Savior.

It does not matter where or how you are serving; the important thing is to serve God from a heart of love that leads people to see Jesus.

In His Love,

Susan