Following Jesus is an individual matter! Your husband, wife or your children cannot be your proxy. Your pastor can’t do your service or exercise your spiritual gifts. You have to do it yourself! Serving God is an individual matter, but it is not individualistic. Our lives are to be lived for God. We live to benefit others.
They asked Jesus, “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39 NLT).
What is our relationship to others? Love on its knees! The Holy Spirit tells un through the pen of Paul, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” (Philippians 2:3). “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another” (Romans 12:10). We love others by serving them.
What Does the Lord Require of Us?
Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 (The Message), “But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously.”
“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you” (James 1:27 NLT).
“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless, Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds” (James 2:14-18 NLT).
“If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person” (1 John 3:17 NLT).
“Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 8:10).
“And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35 NLT).
“Use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need” (Ephesians 4:28).
The world says, “What’s mine is mine and what’s yours is mine if I can get it.” The Christian says, “I have nothing but what I received from God, therefore, I am only a steward (manager) of my possessions, what’s mine is yours if you need it.”
There are countless numbers of hungry hurting people in our communities! Homeless, elderly, shut ins, widowed, sick, and incapacitated. Many are lonely with no one with whom to talk or and with whom to share their problems. Many have no families or close personal friends nearby. They need to know that although much of society has forgotten them, our Heavenly Father has not forgotten them. It is our job to tell them, not just by word, but by deed, that Jesus loves them, and that He will never leave nor forsake them.
Many are brokenhearted, grieving over their lost loved-ones. Many are painfully living in the past, and have very little with which to look forward in their future. As believers, it is our responsibility to bring God and hope to their lives.
Listen to Jesus, “For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,[a] you were doing it to me!” (Matthew 25:35-40).
DO IT FOR JESUS!
