ANNOUNCEMENT: Volunteer with Cradles to Crayons after church Sunday, August 23 | Click for info
"Everyone can be great because everyone can serve."
–Martin Luther King, Jr.
Greatness doesn’t always make the headlines. A mom rocks her baby to sleep, even though she can barely stay awake herself. A middle manager calmly diffuses a tense situation, even though the employee has gotten on his last nerve yet again. A lifelong friend sits at the bedside of a suffering chemo patient, even though she feels like she doesn’t have much to offer anymore.
Serving others takes effort, energy, and emotional strength. It’s easy enough to serve others when we’re well-rested and our lives are in order. But when we ourselves are struggling, the temptation is to stop serving others and focus on serving ourselves.
Jesus faced that temptation too. After a long stretch of serving people, he had gotten news that his cousin was brutally executed by a wicked puppet king. Naturally, he wanted some time alone.
But people needed him. And Jesus, physically and emotionally tired as he was, did not turn them away.
When you are struggling, Jesus does not turn you away either. He serves you through his Word by healing your shame and restoring your peace. He takes your hand, offering his presence to calm you and to remind you that he gives you the strength to serve in ways beyond what you ever thought you could.
When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
–Matthew 13:13,14
For meditation:
How does knowing that Jesus has restored my relationship with God make me excited to serve others?
For prayer:
Lord Jesus, you are the perfect example of a true servant heart. Give me the strength to serve the people I interact with this weekend. In your name, Jesus, I ask this. Amen.
