Living out the Gospel through compassion & service

How do service & a Christian faith relate to each other anyway? This is a question that I have always found interesting and this summer was an incredible opportunity to grow in that, so bear with me as I begin to work through summarizing my beliefs and reflections...

Why should we serve?

There are a multitude of reasons, but here are a few:

Matthew 25:40 "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

1. We should care for others because humans are God's beloved creations. Because we were made in the image of God and not by some accident, everyone deserves to not be mistreated or harmed, regardless of their past or character. Nicholas Woterstorff demonstrates this through a metaphor: Mount Vernon is considered a special place for the US. Why? The owner, George Washington, is treasured in our nation, so we honor the house that he built and lived in. It was precious to him (the creator & in turn owner) and we revere him, so therefore, it is precious to us Americans. At the same time, God created and treasures human beings. We also revere God, so should treasure all his creations. By loving other people regardless of any flaw in character or wrongdoing they may have, we show respect for our own Creator. 

2. A full understanding of God's grace in one's heart should MAKE you do justice. Because of the work of the Cross, we are forgiven for all of our sins and no longer receive the wrath that we deserve. We are deeply in debt before God and have no way of redeeming ourselves, so God shows us his powerful generosity through offering his own life to set us all free. Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit..." When we admit that we ourselves are spiritually poor, it is then we will often find our hearts gravitating towards the materially poor. We can identify with those in need; it's as if we are looking into a mirror that reflects our spiritual state of being. You can't simply say to the poor, "I won't help you because you got yourself into this mess" because God came to us in our spiritually poor neighborhood and helped us, even though our spiritual problems were our own fault. Just as God demonstrated his grace and love for us, so too should we feel the need and desire to love and care for all of God's human creations, especially those who are vulnerable in our society.

Do you meet the needs of your neighbor with all the joy, energy and fastidiousness with which you met your own needs? THAT is the kind of life you owe your God & your fellow human beings."
-Generous Justice by Tim Keller (I highly recommend this book if interested in service, justice & faith)

Jesus was the greatest man to ever walk the earth, yet he came to SERVE, even to the point of death. Nobody is too important to serve others and God. Not only did Jesus serve others and the vulnerable, but he profoundly served me personally. Because I claim the benefits of his death, I also share in his calling to put others first, regardless of the risk, challenge or price I must pay to do so. When we suffer for the good of others, it becomes more clear that we are following Christ's example.


So what does this all mean now? Good question. Still workin on that, but for now, I'll just say that for me, living out the Gospel can be to love, serve, forgive and care for people regardless of [blank], whether it be age, income, race, or even immigration status.

Thanks to my host family for sharing so much with me this summer through their humor, generosity, love, faith, compassion and service!!

Jerry, Alice, me