My local church meets in a local YMCA. On Saturday night, after the Y closes, a team of people shows up to setup for Sunday service. I’m not part of this team. However, I decided to show up this time. It just so happened that only one person from the set up team showed up. He brought his dad with him, who happened to be visiting from out of town. So we had three people doing setting up. Things like this happen, no big deal just a little more time and effort.
Now I’d like to say that God spoke to me when I was in deep meditative prayer and I heard Him say, “Go to the Y tonight.” However, this didn’t happen. What did happen was I was just going about my day Saturday. I went to a men’s group that morning. I went to the grocery store. Kitty and I went to a dog festival in town. I watch some football. I did pray earlier that day but it was my usual prayers, asking God to watch over my family members, friends and neighbors. Things I pray for everyday.
So when Kitty and I got back from the dog festival I thought I should go and help out at the Y. I didn’t think much of this thought other than it just became something I wanted to do more then watch football or tv or walk my dog for the evening. However, it is after the fact I could see God’s hand in my thoughts and actions.
I believe this is how God works 99.9% of the time in those who are followers of Jesus Christ. It is in the ordinary mundane things of our lives that God moves us to meet the needs of others and we really don’t see God’s hand in it until after the fact. I’ve always wanted those Burning Bush experiences with God however I believe those incidents are very rare. The average everyday person who is a follower of Jesus Christ will not experience anything like this in their life time.
This is were the hard part begins. When we do serve God by meeting peoples needs we must be mindful of not taking glory for ourselves. We must be careful, as followers of Jesus Christ, to not serve others to make our own conscience feel better. Jesus told his disciples, “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Paul echos this sentiment by saying, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Living for Jesus by serving other and meeting needs is a means to an end and that end is about pointing people to Jesus so that they may see God’s love and hear the good news about God’s kingdom. This was Jesus example. He met peoples needs and shared the good news about the Kingdom of God. He told his disciples to follow His example, “As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”
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