“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”
Acts 20:24
For most of my preteens into teens I was always at church. My dad had turned a life of drugs and alcohol into a life of pursuing Christ, which for him meant becoming a youth pastor. When I say we were always at church, I often felt like I saw the walls of our youth room more than my own house. People would say things like, “thank you for all that you do with our church,” or “you’re always serving with such a grateful heart.” At times I loved what we did at church and the ways we were able to help and serve others, but by the end of high school it was something I felt I had to do, since I was the “youth pastor’s kid.”
I went off to college and attended church, but never truly got “plugged in.” I told myself I was too busy or it would stress me out too much with school, but the truth was I was selfish and fearful that I wouldn’t be good enough at whatever I was tasked with.
Fast forward to the year after I graduated college and I found myself spending a year overseas in many different countries, doing mission work. It was during this time that I saw people hike hours, literally, in the foothills of Mt. Everest to worship and serve their communities, people rebuilding homes of people they knew nothing about, and loving on people who literally cursed them because they were believers. Many of them told me the reason they still served was because someone served them and that was how they came to know Jesus.
Slowly in these moments God began to show me how He sees His children. He began to show me how he created each unique life, each unique heart. This was when I began to serve with an overflowing, abundant heart. Volunteering at the Point has only further solidified the importance of serving, having the opportunity to serve the community in which I live and a people that I’ve come to know and love.
When we serve, we are so close to God, His nature, His character. His own son spent His entire life on earth serving others so they could know Him. How amazing is it that we have the opportunity, that He invites us in to let someone else experience Him by our service?
Prayer
Father, help me and each of us to see that you’ve given us a gift and opportunity when we serve. Help us to see others the way that you see them, for when we do, we will never want anything more than to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Thank you for bringing us in to your kingdom and giving us the chance to show and help someone know you. Thank you for giving us life and joy as we serve one another.