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My friend, Molly, sent me a quote yesterday, “If you are more fortunate than others, build a longer table, not a taller fence.” I pondered on this quote for a while, just thinking.
I then picked up Our Daily Bread devotional and turned to December 29th. This day was called “washed in Love.” A small church in California saw an opportunity to express God’s love and went to a local laundromat. They helped people wash and fold their laundry. They also provided a hot meal and sometimes even brought bags of groceries. One volunteer stated that the best part was the actual contact with people and hearing their stories. These churchgoers wanted to live out their faith through loving words and actions that help relationships with others.
Being in the hospital is not any fun and being there through the holidays is a bummer. When I realized we were going to be there, I decided we were going to make the best of the situation. I went to Hobby Lobby and gathered Christmas decorations, and I filled our little cubical with lights and Jesus. Christmas Eve arrived, and Laurens friend Anna Lee came and sat the whole day so I could run home and gather what we needed. My sister in law brought food also, so we had plenty. That night we set the serving table, and we served everyone in the waiting room. We even delivered to those in other places. After everyone had eaten, we packed up all the extra and gave it to the nurses in the ER at Arkansas Children’s hospital. Lauren was to be at work that day, so she wanted to do something for her coworkers.
Christmas day, we did the same. We brought brunch. My mother in law had made cinnamon rolls, Allie brought cinnamon rolls, Susan had made a breakfast casserole, and we had other food to fill in. Once again, we fed those in the waiting room and gave them each a Christmas ornament that our preacher had brought over from our church.
God diverted our focus. It was going to be a hard Christmas with stringer being in ICU and because we had lost my mother, but God took care of that. Instead of focusing on what was upsetting to us, we focused on others.
It is when we serve Him by serving others that we act as believers who trust and follow Jesus.
DIVE INTO SCRIPTURE
Mark 9:35 New International Version (NIV)
35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
We must put ourselves last. Be a servant to others. We must serve Christ, and by serving Christ, we must serve others. Appreciate others worth. Don’t approach life expecting high positions honors privileges. Look to help others.
Mark 10:45 New International Version (NIV)
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus came as a man to serve. He served to the uttermost, giving his very life as a ransom for many. Greatness comes in serving others, minister the needs of others.
2 Corinthians 4:5 New International Version (NIV)
5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
Paul saw himself as a servant for Jesus’ sake, a slave to Christ. Paul continued to serve even when others didn’t live up to our expectations. Serving others is a sacrifice of time and personal desire.
Philippians 2:5-7 New International Version (NIV)
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
Jesus had all the glory with the father in heaven yet emptied himself of his glory and took the form of a servant. To be a servant of Christ, we must be His slave and do all that He asks us to do. (Matt 28:8-10 Acts 1:8) Have this mind among us this is easy to say hard to do.
You can look at life to be served or you can look for opportunities to serve. Have a servant attitude.
If you are serving God one day, you will hear these words, well done good and faithful servant. Matthew 25:21
CHALLENGES OF THE WEEK
- Keep your daily appointment with God
- Dive deep into scripture
- Keep lengthening your table
- Fill your cup with Christ so you can fill other cups
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