SERVING OTHERS

Since when are things--like personal agendas--more important than people?

Never have been, yet we live that way.

With a husband, three kids, a business, and a schedule on wheels, there are countless times I've ignored the phone, been too busy or just felt too overwhelmed to check in on longtime friends, new acquaintances or even family members.

No matter how good our intentions, it's pretty selfish to repeatedly fall into a cycle of putting things above people--things like meetings, moods, deadlines, plans, conditions, desires, events, and more.

God's law commands that we love others as we love ourselves. This stresses the value and priority we should place on "other people." One way to love on others with the love of God is to serve them.

Jesus spent His precious time on the earth loving and serving people. His purpose was the Ultimate Sacrifice, which was in fact the Ultimate Act of Servanthood.

It's hard to shut people out and love them at the same time. When we serve others, we serve God.

Here's a quick list to help keep things in perspective:

Serve not to be seen. Check your motives. Serving others is a selfless act, not a self-centered one.

Step outside the box. When we think of serving others, the traditional ministry volunteering often comes to mind. But we can also serve people by simply reaching out to express genuine concern and interest in their well being.

Persevere. There may be times when people you serve are not very receptive, grateful or appreciative. Forego your expectations, continue on, and put emphasis on the act of serving in love, not the recipient.

Set the tone. Be humble, yet serve with authority and passion. Let God's love create the atmosphere to be fruitful, productive and effective.

Be consistent. There's never been a shortage of people who could use a listening ear, an extra eye or a helping hand. Let your act of service be ongoing, not just for a season.

Accept the timing. Remain open. Serving others will almost always inconvenience you. Push past yourself and heed the call to help others when
it comes.

Don't wait. Perfect conditions will never exist. Decide on an act of service and do it today.

A LIFESTYLE OF GIVING

"whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." Galatians 6:7b

When I read that scripture, I get very excited about giving. I mean uncontainable excitement and guess what, I am not even thinking about
financial giving.

It seems sometimes we get stuck there - believing the only way we can give is with money. This means if we don't have any money, we may feel that we have nothing to give.

However, there are so many other ways to give. Matter of fact, giving should be a part of your lifestyle. It should be something that you do so freely and regularly that it's just a natural part of who you are.

So you ask, "How can I give something other than money?"

You can give of your time by serving in a ministry within the four walls of your church or even volunteering with an organization in your community.

Going even further than that, make sure you are giving your time to your family. Don't always give the best of you to everyone else and only give your family your leftovers.

You can give of your heart and compassion to those that may simply need someone to talk to, or a shoulder to cry on or someone to pray with them.

Sometimes giving of your heart may be sharing an encouraging word or even a simple hug or hello to a stranger.

Of course, you can also give of your money--in addition to your regular tithes and offering--you can give to some of the special projects your
church may be working on. You can give to that youth trying to save money to go study abroad. You can give to that family down the street that may be struggling due to someone being laid off. You can give to your local homeless shelter or children's hospital.

Needless to say, daily we are presented with opportunities to give. Let's all make an effort to give something of ourselves daily until it becomes a lifestyle.

I guarantee you will find out what it means to be blessed to be a blessing!

STORING UP TREASURES

I know a man who has built a small empire of wealth--several large houses, cars, trucks, and large envelopes filled with thousands of dollars in cash. In addition to having a few thousands in his house, last year, he resorted to hiding a large sum in cash under a doghouse in his yard.

No, I am not giving you his address!

When I think about him and people like him, my heart breaks because, he has pursued and accumulated wealth here and failed to build a relationship with Jesus.

I imagine this is exactly what Jesus was talking about, in Matthew 6:19-21, when he said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth...But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven."

To understand what Jesus meant, we need to know what He did not mean. Jesus was not saying we could not have nice things, or that we could not engage in wise financial planning. Moreover, He was not saying we could not enjoy
wealth and the good things in life that God gives us, or we could not run our businesses profitably.

What did Jesus mean?

Jesus is talking about two types of treasures.

The first type is the kind we accumulate on earth. These treasures are vulnerable to all kinds of decay and theft. Jesus is saying, don't make acquiring and accumulating these types of treasures--houses, cars, degrees, prestige, popularity, vintage comic books, coin collections, paintings, CDs and albums--our main concentration, obsession and addiction, at the expense and neglect of the most important treasure--God and helping those in need.

We should guard our hearts against the addictive pursuit of material wealth because of its dangers--the love of them is the root to all kinds of evils, may hinder people's response to the gospel, create false security, make people proud, cause excessive worry, and lead people to forget God. Working for them may cause excessive tiredness, enjoying them too much may lead to self-indulgence, and misusing them may foster oppression and injustice.

The alternative is laying up treasures in heaven. He is not saying people can buy their way to heaven. However, He is calling His followers to simplify their lives and leverage their time, and wealth for the sake of people in need (Matthew 19:21; 1Timothy 6:17-19). When His followers with pure motives (Matthew 6:1-4), do good, are rich in good deeds, are generous and willing to share with the marginalized, they will be laying up treasures in heaven.

Jesus goes on to say wherever our treasures and wealth are, our whole selves will be entwined with them. This verse becomes a gracious mirror in which we can see where our hearts really are.

Jesus is warning us against being totally earthbound at the neglect of eternal values.

So, how can we determine today if we are pursuing wealth at the expense of God? How can we understand where our hearts really are? I believe the following questions can help us:

What occupies my thoughts and daydreams when I have nothing else to do?

What do I fret about most?

Apart from my immediate family, who or what do I most dread losing?

What are the things I measure others by?

What is it that we know we cannot be happy without?

Let's pray about and determine how much is enough and release the rest to build the kingdom and help others find the real treasure: Jesus.

by Pastor Marvin Williams

MOVING BEYOND THE MOMENT

"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)

Sometimes, the things that hinder us from moving forward in our journey aren't always bad things.

It is possible to become hostage to our past by trying to relive something that has come and gone. This can take the form of trying to relive past achievements or defining moments in our lives.

We've all met people like this. In their wallet or purse they carry pictures or newspaper clippings of a climactic moment in their lives. They speak of the past in the present tense, as if these events happened yesterday.

It is healthy to celebrate our past moments in life, but it is unhealthy to become stuck in a moment and miss the rest of life.

Life is a motion picture, not a snapshot. It is always moving and stands still for no one.

Those who have a snapshot perspective of life can be easily identified by their conversation. They always talk about the past and how things used to be, or they dwell on what someone did to them years ago.

It's almost as if they stopped living once that moment transpired. Although they can easily recall in detail a particular moment in time that occurred years ago, they cannot clearly articulate their plans for the future.

Often, people who develop a snapshot perspective of life lose their identity in the event or situation. They define who they are by that moment in time instead of who they are as a person.

You are more than a moment! You are a motion picture that is not defined by a snapshot or one frame of the picture. If you refuse to allow your past to define your future, you will discover that life has much more to offer you than a memory.