Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ Matthew 25:37-39
What are some things you do without thinking? Some of us have habits we don’t even realize until someone points them out. On judgment day, even those who lived transformed by Jesus will be unaware of the complete impact they made on the world. They will have served not for keeping a good track record or even to please God. They serve out of the transformation of God in their lives and their moments of service did not stand out as outliers. The righteous are transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit to a degree that serving others becomes natural and normal in their lives. This is the result of being transformed by Jesus and walking in His way of sacrificial love.
Has your life been transformed in this way? Do you serve and love others differently because of Jesus? Sometimes it is easy to grow stagnant in our faith, living off the lessons of faith from long ago, but never stepping out to serve others because life grew too busy. What God is looking for in our service isn’t a perfect track record or a certain number of volunteer hours. He is looking for a life that has been changed by Him and is submitted to Him, from the beliefs we have to the way we live, serving others every day.
- What are the ways you serve right now? How much is serving a part of your life?
- How has the way you serve been changed by Jesus? What are some of the barriers to serving like Jesus?
- Pray and ask God to transform the way you live and serve to look more like Him.
