For the past couple of weeks, I’ve served dinner at the local homeless shelter, Lighthouse Mission, on a Tuesday night.  A friend and I have been talking for some time about being involved with people who have needs in the community, building relationships with those people, and actively seeking opportunities to give of our time and money.  I’ve been listening to some Francis Chan podcasts, and very quickly, he has me by the throat in regards to my lust for my own comfort.  And that is absolutely not the mission of Christ.  Scripture speaks to me over and over about taking care of the widow and orphan, providing a coat/meal/drink for those in need of those items, pursuing justice, becoming angered at injustice, and on and on.  And I’m a fool if I think those needy people are going to drive to my church at 6pm on Sunday so it’s more convenient for me to help them.

There are some very specific and personal reasons why I am passionate about serving others, why I continue to do so with consistency:

1. It’s biblical.  Without question.  It’s all over the Old and New Testament, and not offered up as a suggestion.  We are commanded to take care of the needs of others, and to avoid doing so is sin.
2. I meet interesting and strong people.  How can you be homeless and not be strong?  I’ve met many elderly, disabled, and poor people who have found reserves of resiliency that I haven’t had to dig to find in my own life.  People are created in the image of God and those people are fascinating.
3. I learn about God in a way that adds layers of depth and understanding to what I read about him in the Bible.  I think that I know (cognitively) God because I read about him in the scriptures; I think I know (relationally) God because I serve with him when I minister to others.
4. My best friends are people I serve with. Tonight I spent time with Shawn, shoulder to shoulder, him slinging corn on the cob and green beans, me with the cucumbers and tomatoes.  Shawn can tell me a lot about himself, but I know that he is respectful to others, compassionate, and hard working because I’ve witnessed that.  Plus, we talked about ministry, work, movies, and how good we look in hair nets.
5. Time flies when you’re serving others.  When I take my focus off myself and my junk, time flies.
6. It’s a better use of my time than the ways I’d waste it if I didn’t intentionally and purposefully do good.  I shudder to think of all the time I waste on the internet, in front of the TV, buying things I don’t really need.  When I fill my time with serving, the other things fall away.

Not every serving experience is great, but that’s okay.  God takes my paltry efforts and does what he does best with them: redemption.  I’m not always faithful, and I goof up as much as I get it right, but it’s good for me today to take stock of where I am and where I intend to travel, as well as the importance of making the steps in the journey count.