I firmly believe the moments in life that shaped me the most were ones when I was serving others. From going on a mission trip to Guatemala to collecting food for a homeless shelter with my youth group, all these moments put my life into perspective and helped me understand just how important serving is.
These times not only taught me the importance of helping others but also taught me to be humble and grateful for what I have. They taught me to always keep my integrity and be the same Kirsten in and outside of church walls. Serving showed me exactly how loving and willing a Follower of Christ is called to be.
In 2017 with the world at our disposal, we have opportunity after opportunity to make a difference in the lives around us. From volunteering at homeless shelters to going on mission trips to sending a loving text to a distant friend, we have the power to do what Jesus would’ve done had He been on Earth today. Throughout His life, Christ’s goal was to serve God, and He did that through serving people around Him. But the remarkable thing is these people He helped weren’t always “for” Him. Some of them mocked, abused, punished, and hated Him. And yet, He still loved them anyway.
If Jesus were on Earth today do you think He would serve others? Would He neglect some opportunities and embrace others? Would He not serve at all? Or would He have His arms open wide at every chance to improve someone’s life? I think the latter.
Serve Him by serving His people. Galatians 5:13 calls us to use our freedom to serve others rather than serving ourselves. Even if serving someone is inconvenient or frustrating or even a little undeserved we are called by Christ to serve anyway. After all, He served those who nailed Him to the cross…. And aren’t we also called to love our enemies (Luke 6:27-28)?
I want to challenge you today with this: How can you better serve others? Are you acting as the hands and feet of Jesus and pouring into the lives around you? How humbly are you serving? We are called by God to serve His people, but it’s up to us to be willing to serve every chance we get.
Photo: LDS
