Love RemainsSýnishorn

Week 3: Lifting Others Up

What do you do?

What do you do when you’re passionate about something? Do you think about it? Talk about it? Gather your people and do something about it?

What about when you’re angry about something? When an injustice comes to your attention, and you find yourself wanting to fight on behalf of someone else? Do you stew over it? Post about it? Rant about it? Call people out about it? Or again, do you rally your friends and do something about it?

Throughout his life, Jesus was known for calling out injustice. He wasn’t shy about pointing out the Sadducee's sins, who used their positions of authority to make themselves wealthier. He didn’t hesitate to challenge the Pharisees when they let their desire to look better than others get in the way of actually serving those in need. And while speaking out against hypocrisy and injustice was part of Jesus’ ministry, his life and legacy were defined by the selfless way he served others and his call to us to do the same.

Jesus built his life around the truth that everyone was created in the image of God and worthy of being exalted. He was known for saying things like “the first will be last,” and “the greatest among you will be a servant of all.” 

Jesus went out of his way to actively exalt those whom others overlooked. He visited lepers on the outskirts of town. He welcomed children, perhaps considered some of society's lowest of the low, and told his followers to become like them. He befriended tax collectors who were often thought of as thieves, and he valued women, even including them in his inner circle. 

Living out our convictions

For Jesus, belief didn’t stop at the point of words. Instead, it manifested itself in action. Serving others became a radical act of speaking truth to power by lifting others up. And in lifting others up, Jesus not only transformed individual lives but communities as well. Women were empowered and given positions of leadership in the early church. Children's lives took on higher value, and the poor became an equally valuable part of the Christian community. 

Jesus’ actions had ripple effects across time as his followers continued to live lives of service and sacrifice long after Jesus ascended into heaven. They sold their land and possessions and gave the money to the poor. They fed and clothed the widows in their community, sent relief aid during times of famine, and helped people find freedom from spiritual warfare. 

As their beliefs moved beyond words and into action, they brought real and lasting change both to the world and within themselves. 

Pastor and author Eugene Cho recently wrote about the Christian call to live out our convictions in both word and deed. In his book, Thou Shall Not Be a Jerk, he wrote:

“When we live out our convictions and act on them in the real world, our beliefs become personal. We move from proclamations and conversations to maturation and transformation. While our first motivation may be a desire to help others, it also becomes a gift to ourselves. Our life satisfaction improves. Our community expands, our bonds grow deeper, our ability to relate to others increases.

“When we live out our convictions… we show how the gospel that saves is also the gospel that moves and transforms. The world sees that the Jesus who died is also the Savior who dwells in the lives of His people.”

Serving others is love lived out. It’s transformation in action. What an inspiring call on our lives. When belief transforms into action, it has a greater capacity to create lasting change than words do alone. How will you live out your convictions and create change today? 

Questions for Reflection:

When you identify an issue you care about, do you find it easier to talk about it or act on it? What might hold you back from acting on your convictions?