We are all missionaries. Yeah, I know that word doesn’t seem right, but it’s true! All of us are called to be his hands and feet, to share his heart and his hope with others. We are called to love our neighbor and to offer service to each other in Jesus’ name. We can do this in ways that are both big and small. When we give to a specific cause, volunteer a few hours with the church or a non-profit, serve on a church committee or take part in a Volunteer in Mission trip, we are making our faith real in concrete action.
When we serve, we get outside the world where you normally spend your time. We begin to see how other people live, the challenges they face, and how the adversity they bump up against. We can come away from such an experience with the realization that our own needs may not be as big as we thought. We can have a deeper appreciation of the needs and hurts that others carry. We find that we are lifted up when we make the effort to lift up others.
Last spring, I began volunteering as a Blood Drive Ambassador with the Red Cross. Every month I work a “shift” of four more hours to be a greeter and host at a blood drive somewhere in Frederick County. It’s not a difficult job. It doesn’t require any advanced qualifications. I find it rewarding to do something that can clearly benefit other people.
There are so many things that we can do: writing a “thinking of you” note, making a phone call or a visit, delivering a “Love Bag”, serving on a church committee, singing in the choir, volunteering at the hospital, or making a prayer shawl. Each time we do something for someone else, it is as though we did it for Christ himself. Each bit of service can be an opportunity for us to grow in our faith and maturity as followers of Christ.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Steve