By: Curtis Merrick
Originally published: December 10
Begin with 2 minutes of silence
Scripture
Hebrews 13:16 (NRSV)
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Devotional
“Servanthood might sound like a pious idea, but it really asks for the humble recognition that our life is not our own to be defended but a gift to be shared. All we have has been given to us. Our part is to be grateful and to give thanks.”
- Henri Nouwen, Spiritual Formation
It is easy to understand that there are those less fortunate than ourselves, but we tend to see them as a nebulous group that can be helped by organizations committed to the cause du jour. God calls us to something more. Stepping into servanthood as a way to sacrifice part of our life in order to share with the marginalized. Sharing what we have is more than utilizing a third-party organization to help others: it’s sharing what we have directly with those who need it.
Everything we have has been given to us by God and it pleases Him to see us share how He has blessed us with those in need around us. Even when we don’t have the capacity to share financially, we still have our time and talents that God has gifted us to share with the world. It often feels like a sacrifice in a culture so caught up in productivity and busyness to give our time, especially when we can just give our money and allow others to do the sharing for us. However, sacrifices of doing good and sharing are what pleases God. Instead of defending our time as our own, we ought to jump into the opportunities God lays before us.
Question for Reflection
With whom in your community is God calling you to sacrificially share what you have (money, time, a listening ear)?
Prayer
God, open my eyes to see the unseen hurt and brokenness around me. To slow down and sacrifice my productivity in order to reach out to those around me and step into the uncomfortable to share my life with them. Bringing voice to the voiceless as I am able and working to bring those on the margins the dignity of being known as a human instead of a statistic.
End with 2 minutes of silence
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