Unrestrained Service: A Devotional for Nonprofit Leaders and Volunteersનમૂનો

Day 4 – A Reason for Service

Nonprofit work is not always easy; as a matter of fact, sometimes it can be downright difficult. As a nonprofit volunteer, it is best to bear in mind the reason why you began volunteering in the first place. Think about what made you decide to become part of an organization and give of your resources and especially your time.

• Did you recognize the effectiveness of a program or the impact on the clients?

• Could you identify with the organization’s purpose and mission?

• Did you witness the difference the organization was making in a particular community?

• Did you envision where your specific skillset would help in the organization’s efforts?

• Did something happen in your life that was similar to the lives of the clients the organization serves?

Lamentations 3:21 says, “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope”. Jeremiah was experiencing anguish due to the predicament of the Israelites until he remembered the glorious feats that God had previously performed on their behalf. Sometimes we just need to search the recesses of our minds for those positive memories. The times when everything was progressing according to plan. The times when the promises of God were coming to pass swiftly and uninterrupted. The times when we were walking in abundance and suffered no lack at all. Trust me, in the nonprofit arena, it will be necessary to hold onto those memories because the lean times will come. This does not mean you’re coming into agreement with negative circumstances or speaking them into existence; honestly, this is just a fact of life….SEASONS CHANGE, even in volunteering! But our Heavenly Father is the Lord of Triumphs and Tragedies!!! He doesn’t lose His power and might because we are experiencing difficulty in a situation.

Search your memory bank now, recall your why, and retain it in the forefront of your mind. THIS IS THE REASON YOU SERVE! It’s not to be seen or rewarded, and it’s not to have something to brag about, list on a resume, or to have people indebted to you. THIS IS ALL ABOUT YOUR SERVICE TO GOD!!! Whether the organization and the clients thank you or not, God is not unrighteous to forget your labors of love. So, be encouraged and through the good and the not-so-good be determined to continue serving!