Our Call to Serve

The Kingdom Light – Episode 1116

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On today’s program, I wanna share with you one of my daily devotionals from this week. It has to do with following the example Jesus set for us, as well as a command He gave us. We’ll expound on the concept of servanthood as it relates to the attitude we should have with others. That’s next on The Kingdom Light.

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Okay – last Friday morning, I was getting my day started with a little devotional from my Bible app, and this was just too good not to share. So I wanna start off this episode with a 2-minute video that covers John 13:14. Check it out.

[clip: Jesus teaches His disciples about servanthood by washing their feet.]

Great stuff there, so let’s break it down. Here we see Jesus once again living out the example for us, rather than just saying, “Hey guys, do this.” He made it clear that this is an important lesson to learn, then He demonstrated it through action, showing the humility and grace He wanted us to emulate.

Too often, we see the dirty side of people and steer clear of them for it. The truth is that their faults remind us of our own shortcomings, and we don’t like to admit we have them. But our attitudes toward other people’s sin or misdeeds can come across as judgmental. It can also promote the idea that we Christians are a bunch of holier-than-thou types, making us out to be judgy at best and hypocritical at worst.

But that’s not who we are supposed to be, and it’s not the life we are called to. People need to be able to see Christ’s example lived out in our lives. I mean, think about it. He was God in the flesh, and yet He never came across as one who thinks more highly of Himself than others. His willingness to humble Himself should be an inspiration to us all.

The passage here packs a profound punch. Even God -the Almighty, the Creator of all things, the One and Only Master of everything – humbled Himself to put on the flesh of mankind, laying aside all His glory and heavenly stature, in order to redeem us and free us from the bonds of sin. And if He can lower Himself to being a servant of those He created, then we ought to be able to let go of our pride and humble ourselves in service to one another.

This reminds me of the story of the good Samaritan. You may recall that two supposed “men of God” avoided caring for an injured man along the road by walking across to the other side from where he was so they could pretend not to notice him. Later came a Samaritan man who saw the injured man in need and did not ignore him, but instead he cared for him far beyond what most people would do. Why do we so often tend to behave like those who ignored the need and just walked on by?

We are called to actively serve the needs of those around us. If you see a need, meet it. If you think something good, speak it. And this doesn’t only apply to people in need of food or clothing or other basic necessities. I believe this is also a challenge to us when dealing with those who simply need a Godly influence in their lives. You know what I mean, those who we may tend to shun or avoid because of their sins – certain specific sins.

I’ll just say it. Christians in general often times can seem to be fixated on the sin of homosexuality. I’m not saying we are, but we do often give that impression. We haven’t been very good at explaining our stance and backing it up with scripture – but even when we do that, it can many times come across the wrong way. People then see us as judgy and condemnatory.

Here’s the truth. We all sin. As I said on a recent podcast, that sin is a big deal, but your sin isn’t worse than mine or mine yours. So why is it that we so often treat homosexuality as though it’s a bigger deal than our own sexual sin? My own desires can cause me to stumble.

In His famous sermon on the mount, Jesus said this…

Matthew 5:27-28

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that a man who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

I dare say that I’ve done that more times than I can count. But Christ showed me mercy. My sins are forgiven. Shouldn’t I then show grace to those who are in need of the same forgiveness afforded to me?

Let’s play it out. You meet someone or work with someone or otherwise KNOW someone who is a practicing homosexual. What’s your automatic response? Thank God I’m not like them. Back up the self-righteous truck there, pharisee. Just because you’re not guilty of the same sin as them doesn’t change the fact that YOUR OWN sin would have saved you a seat on the express train to hell had it not been for the love Jesus had for you. Guess what? He has the same exact love for them, too.

So if He can love you in the midst of your sin and make a way for you to be redeemed, can you not likewise love your fellow man who is still steeped in sin and in need of a Savior just as you were? Okay then. So what should be your response? How about treating them as Christ treated you? Love them. Share your own personal story of redemption with them. Present them with the truth about how sin threatens us all and how Jesus can set us free from it.

We all struggle with sin. Sin keeps us from living our best life in a relationship with God. Jesus is the answer.

Now, as I’ve stated many times, we don’t need to sugarcoat the truth. It can be harsh. It cuts like a sword. It might hurt. But if you can offer them the gift of forgiveness in Christ, while making it clear that you’re not judging them yourself, you just might alter their eternal destiny. You can do this by establishing common ground from the start. We all struggle with sin. Sin keeps us from living our best life in a relationship with God. Jesus is the answer. It worked for you, so it can work for them.

It’s the love of God that covers a multitude of sin. Our approach to those who need forgiveness must be from a place of love. It shouldn’t even smell like judgment. Our job is to introduce people to Jesus, tell them how He changed our lives, and encourage them to start a relationship with Him of their own. That’s when the Holy Spirit will step in and water the seeds we’ve sown.

Continue to pray for them and be a friend who’s always there, but let God do what He does best. He will work in their lives, help them see any sin that impedes their growth, and free them from those chains. Because that’s what a loving God does. He’s not asking you to save them. He’s asking you to serve them. Love them like Christ loves you, and they’ll be more inclined to believe that He loves them too.

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