Reason #668
Today was freezing... literally! It has been painfully cold all day long. Of course, when it's in the 20's outside, the only place you want to be is inside. And, for some reason, the cold weather just makes me want to crawl in bed and stay there. There are a thousand things I need to do inside my house, and not a one of them got done tonight. We ate breakfast for dinner because it was the only option available, and then we spent the rest of the night laying in bed and watching movies. Completely unproductive, that's for sure.
One of the movies we watched was the Blind Side. If you haven't seen it, do your heart a favor and watch it. I get choked up about every 20 minutes watching this movie, and I love the fact that it's based on a true story. Basically, a wealthy family takes in a kid who has pretty much become an orphan and is just making it day by day on his own. No one has really taken a chance on him or helped him out, rather everyone has spent their time judging and avoiding him. Anyway, this family is driving home one night and they notice he is walking in the cold in the same t-shirt and shorts he always wears. The mother decides he's going to spend the night at their house since he has no where to go, and that night is the night their lives are changed forever.
As I watched this family pour love out on a complete stranger, I wondered what I would have done would that been me. Would I have driven by and pretended I didn't see him? Would I have judged him just like everyone else? Would I have made an excuse as to why I wouldn't help him, or would I have pulled the car over and helped him?
‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ - Matthew 25:40
When you were showing them mercy, you were showing Him mercy. When you were helping them, you were helping Him. When you were extending grace to them, you were extending grace to Him. When you were meeting their needs, you were meeting His. When you ignored them, you ignored Him. When you judged them, you were judging Him, too. When you denied them, you were denying Him. When you ______________ them, you were _______________ Him.
I always find myself praying, "Lord, how can I serve you?" It's as if it is some secret code that has yet to be cracked. Some mystery that I cannot decipher. I keep asking, waiting for a big answer. Go here, be a part of this. Lead in this way, tackle this project. But really, it's quite simple. We serve God when we serve others. When we are doing it unto them, we're doing it unto Him. It's a direct thing. But maybe we don't see it that way because we look at the world with planks in our eyes. "Will this get me noticed? Will I get recognition and reward for my service? How will this affect me? Will this make me look good? What will others think? What will I get out of this?"
Jesus didn't put us here so that we could watch other people do the work He sent us to do. He didn't place us on this earth to let us sit back and be served. He changed our lives so that we could change the lives of others. And so we have to stop looking for the "right" opportunity to serve and just take all the opportunities that come along. Big, small, short-term, or long-term, it doesn't matter. Because you never know how your service will change someone's life, or better yet, how it will change yours.
#668 - Because His service changed our lives.
"Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me." - John 12:26
One of the movies we watched was the Blind Side. If you haven't seen it, do your heart a favor and watch it. I get choked up about every 20 minutes watching this movie, and I love the fact that it's based on a true story. Basically, a wealthy family takes in a kid who has pretty much become an orphan and is just making it day by day on his own. No one has really taken a chance on him or helped him out, rather everyone has spent their time judging and avoiding him. Anyway, this family is driving home one night and they notice he is walking in the cold in the same t-shirt and shorts he always wears. The mother decides he's going to spend the night at their house since he has no where to go, and that night is the night their lives are changed forever.
As I watched this family pour love out on a complete stranger, I wondered what I would have done would that been me. Would I have driven by and pretended I didn't see him? Would I have judged him just like everyone else? Would I have made an excuse as to why I wouldn't help him, or would I have pulled the car over and helped him?
‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ - Matthew 25:40
When you were showing them mercy, you were showing Him mercy. When you were helping them, you were helping Him. When you were extending grace to them, you were extending grace to Him. When you were meeting their needs, you were meeting His. When you ignored them, you ignored Him. When you judged them, you were judging Him, too. When you denied them, you were denying Him. When you ______________ them, you were _______________ Him.
I always find myself praying, "Lord, how can I serve you?" It's as if it is some secret code that has yet to be cracked. Some mystery that I cannot decipher. I keep asking, waiting for a big answer. Go here, be a part of this. Lead in this way, tackle this project. But really, it's quite simple. We serve God when we serve others. When we are doing it unto them, we're doing it unto Him. It's a direct thing. But maybe we don't see it that way because we look at the world with planks in our eyes. "Will this get me noticed? Will I get recognition and reward for my service? How will this affect me? Will this make me look good? What will others think? What will I get out of this?"
Jesus didn't put us here so that we could watch other people do the work He sent us to do. He didn't place us on this earth to let us sit back and be served. He changed our lives so that we could change the lives of others. And so we have to stop looking for the "right" opportunity to serve and just take all the opportunities that come along. Big, small, short-term, or long-term, it doesn't matter. Because you never know how your service will change someone's life, or better yet, how it will change yours.
#668 - Because His service changed our lives.
"Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me." - John 12:26