Helping Others

"Oh, thanks, Alan!" I gratefully exclaimed, as he came up beside me and grabbed my arm. We were going down a steep, rocky incline at one of the ancient sites in Israel, and he could see that I was having trouble keeping my balance. He continued to watch over me for the rest of the tour, always seeming to appear at just the right time when I was worried about my ability to walk downhill without falling.

"Brian, may I use your shoulder?" Again, we were descending from another ancient site — it seems like there is very little level ground in Israel — and I was unsure of my ability to negotiate the path. He readily agreed, and we carefully made our way down the hill. Just the support of my hand on his shoulder reassured me that I could make it.

Both of these men were at least twenty years younger than I am, and they had the strength to support both of us when my hip bursitis impeded my walk. Months of physical therapy hadn't really helped, but this trip was important, and I was determined to persevere. They made it possible by freely sharing their physical strength with me.

Galatians 6:2 – Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (ESV)

Matthew 20:26b,28 – But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (ESV)

These two men were living examples of serving others and bearing someone's burden — mine. As believers in Christ, they reflected His love in their actions. Jesus is our greatest example of serving others. He washed His disciples' filthy feet; He interacted with people most others of that day wouldn't dare to talk to or spend time with; He freely gave of His healing powers; and He ultimately gave up His life for our sins.

1 Peter 4:10 – As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace. (ESV)

Because we love Him, we should want to serve others in His name. Each of us has God-given talents and abilities that we can use to help someone else. God has tasks that He wants us to do with those talents and abilities. We can't wait for perfect conditions to do them. If we ask Him, God will put people in our path whom we can serve today. Let's serve them gladly. Through obedience to His Word, we will be drawn closer to Christ, and we can reflect His glory in the world.

Prayer: Lord, give us the desire to serve as You came to serve and, ultimately, to give Your life for us. Change our hearts and open our eyes to see the needs of those around us. Amen.

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