|
I am a firm believer that a life lived in service to others is a life well
lived. When we sacrifice of our self for the betterment of our fellow
man, we are making an impartation into their life that will never be
forgotten or erased. Unfortunately that is not how many wish to use their
life. They would rather be served, waited on and given their every desire,
but I believe the Lord is more pleased when we have a servant's heart and
do for others what they can't presently do for themselves. (2 Corinthians 9:6-12)
The Lord Jesus who has all power in Heaven and on Earth laid for us a
powerful example of how we should care for our fellow man. The Lord Jesus
declares in John 13:13-17 “You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right,
for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you
also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example,
that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say
to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger
greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are
you if you do them.”
The decision is ours to make. We must willfully choose to be a servant for
God's kingdom and lead our life in a manner that would be pleasing to the
Lord. When we share a kind word, do a kind deed, lift up someone who is
downtrodden, and simply show the love of God in a tangible way, we are in
essence washing their feet and showing them the unconditional love that
God has for each of us. (1 John 4:7-12) (Mark 9:35)
I hope this message encourages and inspires your heart to be selfless in
service and receive the true joy and blessing that comes in helping others.
THE WAY TO BE HAPPY
Even in religious education one doesn’t always get the answer they expect.
In order to teach compassion, one teacher began her class with the
question: “What would you do if you were walking along a road and saw a
person who was terribly beaten and bruised and covered with blood?”
In a moment of honesty, a little girl replied, “I'd probably throw up.”
There are many professions I should leave alone. I have neither the
constitution nor the aptitude for them. And one of those occupations is
nursing. Like the little girl, I might seriously embarrass myself. But I
deeply admire those compassionate women and men who labor in the nursing
profession.
Some years ago, a six-year-old boy from Corvallis, Oregon (United States)
suffered burns over 85% of his body. His condition was so severe that
several doctors gave up and one hospital would not admit him because they
thought he would die anyway.
His life was saved, however, by eight courageous and committed people –
his parents, three nurses and three doctors. The nurses emerged as the
true heroines in this real-life drama. After other nurses had quit, these
women took eight-hour shifts with the boy, seeing him through skin grafts,
operations, crucial periods in which death almost gained victory, and
dull, dragging days of rehabilitation. The boy grew to dislike them, as he
innocently thought they caused his intense pain.
His room was like a dungeon. It measured 12 feet by 12 feet. The door was
tightly shut, shades were drawn, heat blazed from a gooseneck lamp shining
as a substitute for blankets. The humidity was so high the walls dripped
with moisture, and dank air smelled of burned flesh and chlorine-soaked
dressings.
The nurses stayed with him, dressed in caps, gowns, masks and gloves as if
they were assisting an operation. Within an hour they would be soaked with
perspiration. For 14 desperately long months these dedicated three gave
their all to the ailing boy. Then, one day, he finally climbed from his
bed and walked.
It was a great day! The nurses were rewarded for their tireless effort.
The lives of all three were so deepened and their sense of satisfaction so
great after fighting off the temptation to quit for 14 months, that each
said they’d put forth the effort again.
What caused them to feel so satisfied? I think it was more than simply the
fact that the boy lived. Together they attempted something nearly
impossible, but also truly worthwhile. They poured their lives out for the
sake of someone else.
It is like something American educator Booker T. Washington once said:
“Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.” What these
nurses did was significant. They worked hard and they worked selflessly.
And in doing so, they found contentment.
Do you want to be happier?
Don't pray for blessings; pray for important work to do.
Don't pray for prestige; pray for a place to serve.
Don't pray for more things to use; pray to become more useful.
Don't pray for greater pleasure; pray for greater purpose.
Don't pray for an easier path; pray for joy on the journey, wherever it leads.
If you do, I believe your prayers will be answered.
By Steve Goodier
Read and meditate on these scriptures:
1 John 3:17-18 “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother
have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth
the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word,
neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”
Colossians 3:23-25 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord,
and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of
the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong
shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of
persons.”
Matthew 25:37-40 Jesus says, “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying,
'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You
drink? 'When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and
clothe You? 'Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'
“And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you,
inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did
it to Me.'”
Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus declares, “You are the light of the world. A city
that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put
it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are
in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your
good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
John 13:34-35 Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love
one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this
all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible.
Today's Selected Poem: THE RIGHT WORDS
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/inpoem173.htm
Today's Selected Testimony: HOW GOD USED CANCER TO BLESS ME
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony145.htm
In Christ’s Service,
Dwayne Savaya
God’s Work Ministry |
