It seems so many are busy within the church. There are those very large churches which are able to raise thousands of dollars for their specific ongoing ministries. Others seem to work on a shoe-string budget and still prepare and serve meals for the homeless in their community or have food and clothing drives.
Others send people on mission trips to help with clean up after hurricanes or other natural disasters, while some create a community garden in their town to enable those who don’t have the space to grow a garden or funds to buy food, a place to realize the gift of ‘growing things’ provided by our Lord.
So I ask myself, ‘What am I doing? How am I serving?’ There are days when I feel like I fall way short.
I read the story of a person who moved from the city back to their small hometown and was taken aback by the ‘smallness’ of the church compared to the mega church they left behind. They assumed there was no possible way they would be satisfied or filled within such a small congregation. She found out differently however, as she discovered what they lacked in numbers and funds, was running over in determination, dedication, and a mind of Christ.
When Jesus began his ministry, and through out his time on Earth, he was considered poor. This ‘man’ from a poor, small town, who worked as a carpenter, the world discovered, was the Messiah, Savior, and Redeemer of the World. Even though he came from ‘meager beginnings’ he turned out to be great, magnificent and life changing!
Ultimately He forgave sins, healed bodies and spirits, gave sight to the blind and made the lame walk again. How was it this poor Carpenter could offer so much? He knew his mission and followed the call God had given him—all the way to the cross.
The mission field is all around us and there are many ways to give. Certainly volunteering in any form to help someone is ‘serving.’ Encouragement in the form of checking in, on a shut in, delivering food, working in a soup kitchen, etc. are always good choices. But so is sending a card or making a phone call, taking the neighbor’s dog out for a walk, raking leaves or taking out the trash and there must be a hundred other ways!
As I consider ‘my mission’ I realize there are so many options! Why am I struggling with this? As I do the ‘small things’, I wait on God for the full answer to this, as I search His Word for clarity to continue guiding my life. Perhaps my life is about small things. That is not a bad place to be; even if perhaps different from others. But Jesus started small—-or did he? At age twelve he was in the Temple teaching ‘those in the know!’
Only God can instill in a person’s life what is to be their mission. Sometimes we get so lost in trying to find the ‘big things’ we forget that even the small things can be impactful and make a difference.
What’s he calling you to do? How do you serve? Is there more you can do? Is there more you want to do? How do we get there? Let’s go move some mountains!
No comments:
Post a Comment