There are
times when we wish God would just tap us on the shoulder and
tell His plan, like He spoke to Moses through the bush or like
He spoke to Mary through His angel.
As you lookover the servant outreach
opportunities you might be thinking, "Where do I start?"
Rather than throwing a dart at the sheet to determine your choice,
or waiting for your own personalized burning bush answer from
God, why don’t you start by "Looking Up," "Looking
Out" and "Looking In?" Here’s what it means….
First , look up… at how God has
uniquely designed you. Some of us are made for outreach with
kids, some with adults. God designed some people as "hammer
and nails" folks and others as "lap top" and
"cell phone" folks.
"For we are God’s workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared
in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10 |
Second,
look out… at the human need all around you. You won’t
have to look far! There are neighbors on your block who need
a touch of kindness…there are co-workers who could use
a helping hand…there are folks throughout Shibuya, Tokyo,
Japan and the world who are steps away from the streets and
some who are on the streets.
In horse racing, they put blinders
over the horses' eyes to keep them from seeing the crowds. Blinders
work great on horses, but blinders on Christians keep us from
seeing the needs of our friends, neighbors and co-workers. Lose
the blinders!
"When Jesus saw the crowds, he
had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless,
like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said, “The harvest
is great but the workers are few. Ask the Lord to send out workers
into His harvest field." Matthew 9:36-36
When we consider the human needs that
are all around us, God begins to bring focus to our outreach. |
Third,
look in… at your own willingness to answer God’s
call. It’s one thing to find outreach for you and your
small group, it’s another thing to follow through and
serve. Don’t let fear, indifference, procrastination,
your busy schedule or anything keep you from sharing God’s
love and reaching beyond yourselves, in God’s name.
William Penn wrote: " If there
is any kindness I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not
pass this way again."
Then I heard the voice of the Lord
say, “Whom shall I send and who shall go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I, send me!". Isaiah 6:8-9
Saying “yes" to God may
involve saying "no" to a few things that presently
dominate our time and efforts. But that’s where "Sharing
God’s Love-Beyond TBC" begins by saying "YES"
when God says "GO!" |
