Serving Challenge: An 11-Day Life-Changing Journey to Serve Like JesusSample

Serving Like Jesus: Your Ability

In his book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Donald Miller claims that all of us are telling stories with our lives. If we aren't living a compelling story, he challenges us that we can change our stories. Many do not because they are just waiting for the "one thing" God wants them to do to drop into their lives.

Some of you feel you cannot do anything of worth, which stops you. But when we look to Jesus, we see He had a gift of calling out people whom the world would have never characterized as "gifted" or "able." Jesus picked twelve young men who had failed at school, had their eyes set on worldly things, and were just plain and ordinary by many standards.

The twelve disciples were fishermen, small business owners, tax collectors, political zealots, and other professions not even mentioned. Yet, because they spent time with Jesus and followed after Him, albeit not perfectly, they would end up transformed. They would find their unique God-given ability in this world—and their very purpose for living.

If you trace the lives of many disciples, this rag-tag bunch would all face incredible persecution, and many would even end up dying for their faith. Each had amazing stories come out of their lives.

When we spend time with Jesus, we are changed. We find out not only who He is, but we find who we are. Our identity then determines our behavior. The further we press into a relationship with Jesus, He gives each of us something to tell the world! Look at what Jesus said to the disciples in Matthew 10:27: "What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs."

Just as the disciples had a story to tell, so do you! Our lives tell a story. And, if we are telling a bad story, we should do everything we can to change it. But even when we fail to do it on our own, we have trust in a God who will step into our stories and change them for us. This is the noble cause He invites you to join.

Step into it and see how your story unfolds.

Challenge:

Identify five people in your life who you feel are living for a noble cause. After identifying them, reach out to one of the five and ask them how you can support their work.