choose to serve those in need

Matthew 25:35-36,40 NASB

'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'37  "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?38  'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?39  'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' ... 40  "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, eventhe least of them, you did it to Me.' 

Those are powerful verses, but they are also revealing verses.  They look at what we are doing and how we look at people.  Not everyone is as compassionate or maybe able to help others, yet every one of us can do something.

Mother Teresa may be one of the best-known people who cared for the poor in our world, but there are people in your community and mine that day in and out are helping those in the middle of pain and struggle.  We need to encourage those who are serving, and we also need to do all we can to serve.  Looking the other way or expecting someone else to do it all is just not an option.  

What are you doing to serve those in need?

Here are some thoughts from Mother Teresa:

--- Each one of them is Jesus in disguise. 

--- Even the rich are hungry for love, for being cared for, for being wanted, for having someone to call their own. 

--- Many people mistake our work for our vocation. Our vocation is the love of Jesus. 

--- The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.

--- If you can't feed a hundred people, feed just one.

--- May God break my heart so completely that the whole world falls in.

Those are powerful words much like the powerful verses I began with.  This one person, Mother Teresa, made a huge difference in thousands of lives.  She started by helping one person at a time.  That is all God expects of us.  Just start.  Start today serving someone in need.  

We meet people like this, those who are in need everyday.  Some have big needs that food or shelter or money can meet.  Some have needs that only our love and the love of God can meet.  Start today serving someone in need.

Romans 15:2 NLT

We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.

NOTE: This post was first shared in February of 2011.