Serve

June 30, 2022

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin. Romans 2:4 NLT

Think back in your memories. Do a scan with these questions as the filter. Who first loved you well? Who first accepted you and you may not have understood it, but you felt it deeply? Who first caused you to think of Jesus and His church in a positive light?

Now think back again. How did that person/those people do it? What gave them their influence?

Consider that for a moment. I bet they served you in some way that made love real and personal.

I was blessed to have many, but, besides my parents, the first name that jumps to mind is Lois Jennings. She was an older woman while I was a little girl, surrounded by adults who felt children should be seen and not heard. Not Lois. She was always engaging me in conversation, telling stories and hearing mine. She cared about my world. She invited my sister and me to her home for “brown cows,” ice cream with root beer poured over it. While we were there she would regularly convince her husband to take us for rides on his motorcycle. She gave us little gifts at Christmas. Lois would run into us on the sidewalk or in a store and eagerly lean in to hear what we were up to. She offered to help us with music lessons and home work. She believed in us and let us know it. She served as a Sunday school teacher at our church and every kid was excited when they were finally old enough to be in her class. Lois was a volunteer for so many things. If something were successful at our church and we wanted to bring our friends, you could be sure Lois had a part in it. She served us—with nothing to gain. Lois was such a friend to us that more than fifteen years after we had moved from that town and had only seen her a few times, my sister made an appointment and a several-hour drive to get godly advice from Lois on dating. I prayed at the altar in that church many times, making significant commitments to Christ, and Lois was always there to pray with me.

A church that is making a difference in the world, seeing people come to Christ and lives be changed, has a solid core of people like Lois. The Word of God says that the kindness of God is what leads us to repentance and accepting Christ. He has chosen to make the lives of His people the vehicle of His kindness. Jesus said that He came to serve, not to be served, and we are never more like Him than when we lovingly serve others without expecting repayment in any way.

Consuming Christianity—looking primarily for a place to “feed me”-- will never win the world. Serving with love—that’s the brand that has Jesus all over it, and it wins the world.

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