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Ready to Serve

One of the most famous stories in the Bible is that of the Good Samaritan, a man who stops to help a stranger in need. There are many ways to look at the story, but one is to consider how much the Samaritan interrupted his own life to care for the needs of the man on the road. He might have paused, helped the man off the road, offered his condolences, maybe even left him some money, then proceeded on his way.

Instead, he stopped what he was doing and bandaged the man’s wounds, then carried him to an inn and paid for his care. He even promised to come back and pay for any additional costs. The Samaritan truly engaged with the needs of the man and made sure that what he did for him contributed to the man’s healing. He wasn’t just making himself feel good about helping. He was serving the man at his own cost.

We all like to think of ourselves as charitable. Maybe we drop money into the offering plate at church or support a missionary or nonprofit organization. Nonetheless, how much of ourselves do we really give? Do we take the time to find out about the needs of the individuals we support? Do we pause to pray for them? Are we open to serving in a more personal way?

Rich Stearns, in his book The Hole in Our Gospel, challenges us each to say to God, “Use me; I want to change the world” and then see what happens. In Rich’s case, it meant leaving a high-paying job as an executive and moving his family across the country for a much smaller paycheck as president of World Vision.

Being open to God doesn’t necessarily mean such a complete lifestyle change. Maybe God will ask you to volunteer in a local soup kitchen or help welcome a refugee family into your community. Maybe it means going on a mission trip or helping repair a home in the inner city. My father set an example by volunteering with the local Salvation Army and helping with projects at our church. His willingness to “roll up his sleeves” helped me understand that serving others is truly a blessing. He often returned from volunteering with tears in his eyes as he recounted the joy he felt from being able to help.

Think about your own life and how you respond to the needs you encounter, are there ways you could more fully engage with those in need? Do you give out of obligation or because it makes you feel good? Do you take the time to really understand the needs and then serve those less fortunate? Have you ever considered that serving others more personally could be a blessing in your life? Ask God to show you a way to not only give but also to serve those in need.