NEIGHBORS (Thursday's Devotional)
Others. Our neighbors. Those that God has placed in our path. Life is all about them. The Bible tells us that we are put on this earth to serve them… to love them… to forgive them.
But the gravity of the flesh pulls us in the opposite direction doesn’t it?
We make decisions based on how it ultimately affects us. What we wear… what we lend… what time we give… all skewed by how that decision is beneficial to our own agenda. Why is living for others so difficult? Does God really tell us that our whole purpose in life is to abandon self and embrace serving those around us?
Let’s take a look…
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13
“And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45
“This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.” 1 Cor. 4:1-2
“It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,” Matthew 20:26
“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ...” Philippians 2:1-30
“If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” John 12:26
“Jesus replied, ‘The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.’” Mark 12: 29-31
We are here with a purpose.
We all have gifts.
Our gifts are not for us.
They are to serve others.
Serving His people is what we were created to do. Loving on the lonely... reaching out to the hurting... serving those that are seeking Christ.
The road to our God potential leads us through the valley of selflessness... putting others first... sacrificing so that people we may not even know can come face-to-face with a Savior who sacrificed everything on their behalf.
And we get to do that.
We get to be servants.
Notice what I said there… we GET to be servants. God allows us to care for His people. Those you encounter today are no accident. Even the challenging ones… Every single person you meet today is intentional.
Serve them. Not with selfish motives…. but with a heart filled with Christ’s love.
I can hear you saying to your computer… but Pastor… who’s loving me? Who’s taking care of me? If I don’t look out for myself nobody will! I hear you. But I also know that even when the world seems to turn its back on you, Christ doesn’t. HE will take care of you. HE will provide for your needs. HE will never let you break under the strain or buckle under the weight. HE is always there always. Even when you don’t feel Him, sense Him, or believe He’s there. He IS there. He is determined to provide for and love on you. It’s His heart. It is why He came to begin with. Let Him take care of you while you take care of those He has put in your path.
If you are a Christ-follower… it’s part of your calling.
Resist the urge to dismiss today’s devotional as wishful thinking. It wasn’t written for someone else. It’s for you. And it’s for me. Remember, putting ourselves behind others and serving them may be perceived by the world as weakness… but it is a strength in the eyes of Jesus. And He’s the only one that matters.
