Serving Others

By Lisa Birch


Since when are things--like personal agendas--more important than people?

Never have been, yet we live that way.

With a husband, three kids, a business, and a schedule on wheels, there are countless times I've ignored the phone, been too busy or just felt too overwhelmed to check in on longtime friends, new acquaintances or even family members.

No matter how good our intentions, it's pretty selfish to repeatedly fall into a cycle of putting things above people--things like meetings, moods, deadlines, plans, conditions, desires, events, and more.

God's law commands that we love others as we love ourselves. This stresses the value and priority we should place on "other people." One way to love on others with the love of God is to serve them.

Jesus spent His precious time on the earth loving and serving people. His purpose was the Ultimate Sacrifice, which was in fact the Ultimate Act of Servanthood.

It's hard to shut people out and love them at the same time. When we serve others, we serve God.

Here's a quick list to help keep things in perspective:

Serve not to be seen. Check your motives. Serving others is a selfless act, not a self-centered one.

Step outside the box. When we think of serving others, the traditional ministry volunteering often comes to mind. But we can also serve people by simply reaching out to express genuine concern and interest in their well being.

Persevere. There may be times when people you serve are not very receptive, grateful or appreciative. Forego your expectations, continue on, and put emphasis on the act of serving in love, not the recipient.

Set the tone. Be humble, yet serve with authority and passion. Let God's love create the atmosphere to be fruitful, productive and effective.

Be consistent. There's never been a shortage of people who could use a listening ear, an extra eye or a helping hand. Let your act of service be ongoing, not just for a season.

Accept the timing. Remain open. Serving others will almost always inconvenience you. Push past yourself and heed the call to help others when it comes.

Don't wait. Perfect conditions will never exist. Decide on an act of service and do it today.


Scripture Of The Day: "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." - 1 Peter 4:10





Publisher of Vertical Fix online magazine, Lisa Birch has a passion for music with integrity. Along with her husband Chris, Lisa is the co-founder of Vertical Fix internet radio. A 15-year writer and editor, Lisa has contributed writings for corporate, creative, editorial and ministerial environments. For more on Lisa, log onto http://www.verticalfix.com.

Stepping Into The Darkness

By Alan Riley


Have you ever heard the story of the man who slipped off the edge of a cliff and was desperately hanging on to a rope to keep from falling? The man screamed at the top of his voice, "IS THERE ANYONE THERE WHO CAN HELP ME?" A calm, reassuring voice answered back, "It is the Lord. Let go of the rope."

The man thought about it for a moment, looked down to see how far he would fall. Then he yelled out again even louder, "IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THERE WHO CAN HELP ME???"

Have you ever been at a place in your life where you felt the Lord was telling you to let go of the rope, but all you could see was how things looked from a logical, human perspective? I know I have, and I was really tempted to ask for a second opinion like the man in the joke.

Everything about our human nature wants to see it first and then respond based on what we see. We want to see it then believe it. We want to know where we are going before we agree to start the trip. That is our human nature. And it flies in the face of what God calls us to do and who God calls us to be.

Look at the heroes of the faith and you will see people who believed it before they saw it. You will see people who went when God said 'go' even though they didn't know where they were going or what it would be like when they got there. You will see people who walked by faith and not by sight.

When Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, He allowed and encouraged Thomas to experience what he had said he needed to see to believe that Jesus was alive. Thomas physically saw and felt the wounds in Jesus' hands, feet and side. When he did so, Thomas fell down on His face and declared, "My Lord and My God!" Jesus responded by saying, "Thomas, you believe because you have seen. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."

The writer of the book of Hebrews tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). The New International Version translates that verse this way: "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Far too often, I find myself walking only by sight. But I know it is those times when I step out into the darkness in obedience to God's call that He blesses me, and grows me, and stretches me.

What is God calling you to do that will require you to step into the darkness?

Scripture Of The Day: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." - Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)


Alan Riley is Vice President for Ministry and Media Development for 316 Networks (http://www.316Networks.com), Streaming Faith’s sister media property. He can be found blogging at http://www.alansblog.com or more often opining in 140 characters or less at http://www.Twitter.com/AlanRiley.…