We Are The Change Our World Needs!

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:45

Jesus.

The king above all kings.

 The name above all names.

He came to serve, not to be served.

I wonder if you find this truth as profound as I do?

How many of us can say that we gladly serve others before ourselves daily?

How many of us can say that we serve generously, giving of our time, our talents, and our treasures without limitation?

How many of us can say that we serve others with a heart full of gladness, joy, and love…always?

How many of us can say that we only speak words that are kind and up lifting?

Go ahead, answer these questions honestly.

I don’t always serve others before myself. I place limitations on my time, my talents, and my treasure. Sometimes when serving others, it’s more out of a feeling of obligation, rather than gladness, joy, and love. Sometimes my words can be biting and hurtful. Sometimes I gossip. Sometimes my words are life-taking and not life-giving. I will honestly admit these things to you.

I am very far from perfect my darling friend.

God gives us multiple opportunities within our lives to serve others. Everyone, no matter your current state of being, has the opportunity to serve someone else.

We are all blessed in some way, to be a blessing to someone else. Each and everyone one of us has the ability to sow seeds of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (these are the Fruit of the Holy Spirit). I truly believe with all my heart that if we would take the time to focus on these nine attributes, bringing them forward into our lives, our world would be a better place.

When we think about changing the world I believe some people think they are insignificant. That they can not make a difference. I am guilty of these thoughts, but I believe by remembering to serve others in our daily lives, we all have the ability to significantly impact our circles of influence. Change starts small. It starts within our homes, our places of employment, and our communities, and it has the ability to grow and spread.

We were called to be light within the darkness.

We are the change our world needs.

Jesus is the best example of selflessness. I absolutely love the book of Mark because he truly portrays Jesus as a servant. Our world is missing the point that we are to imitate Jesus within our daily lives. We should be looking for ways to serve others, every day. I know from my personal life that this can be very hard. I often get so caught up in my own life, in my own needs, and my own wants that I forget to look for ways to serve others and imitate Jesus. I let my emotions get away from me, and I let the actions of others influence my behavior. I wish I was totally alone in these statements, but I don’t think I am.

I often miss the opportunity to sow seeds of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, because I am to absorbed within my own life to see the opportunities God is giving me.

It doesn’t have to be difficult. Small acts of service to others will have huge rippling effects.

Let’s take it back to the basics. Let’s start implementing these acts of serving within our lives today. There is no better time than right now to dig in a little deeper. We are the witnesses to the life of faith. I believe it’s time we start not only talking the talk, but walking the walk.

 This is a call to action.

I truly believe that in order to be successful, our minds will need to be renewed daily with the word of God, and we will have to actively seek His guidance. I want to encourage us, myself included, to think about ways to incorporate these 6 acts of service into our lives every day.

Let’s be the change the world needs today.

#1 Serve others by considering their needs before your own:

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT)

“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will be himself watered”

Proverbs 11:25 (ESV)

Work hard, and then give generously to others in need.

Ephesians 4:28 (NLT)

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

Hebrews 6:10

#2 Serve others by treating them the way you would like to be treated:

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Luke 6:31

For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.

Matthew 25:35 (NLT)

and become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tender-hearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32 (AMP)

#3 Serve others generously and without limitations:

And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

Hebrews 13:16 (NLT)

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

1 Peter 4:10 (NLT)

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship.

Romans 12:1 (NIV)

But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.

1 Samuel 12:24 (NIV)

Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full–pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

Luke 6:38 (NLT)

# 4 Serve others with gladness, joy, and love:

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use you freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve on another humbly in love.

Galatians 5:13 (NIV)

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep you spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Romans 12:9-13 (NIV)

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

Colossians 3:12 (ESV)

#5 Serve others by speaking only words to encourage and lift them up:

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.

Proverbs 16:24 (ESV)

Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it.

Ephesians 4:29 (AMP)

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 15:1 (ESV)

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Colossians 4:6 (NIV)

I tell you, on the day of judgement people will give account for every careless word they speak,

Matthew 12:36 (ESV)

whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent.

Proverbs 11:12 (ESV)

# 6 Walk in love:

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 

Romans 12:10 (NLT)

Love is patient and kind, love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices wit the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

Ephesians 4:15 (NLT)

I believe if we work to serve others within our daily lives, His light will shine through us, reaching out into the darkness, and bringing others into the light. It starts with the basics, and these 6 acts of service are incredibly basic. The concepts are not new, but the can have a major impact on our lives and the lives of others if applied not just once in a while, but throughout our entire day.

As you walk through your day today, look for ways to imitate Jesus, and pray for ways to serve and be a blessing to someone else. Use empathy and compassion to consider the needs of others before your own. Hold nothing back, giving all of yourself to serving someone else. Don’t focus on your limitations, God wants to use you, and He has given you what you need to get started. Walk in a mindset of love towards others, serving others with gladness, love, and joy. The simplest acts of service have great impacts. NEVER discount the significance of your small acts of service.

We need to STOP sowing seeds of arrogance, hatred, anger, pride and indifference, and start sowing seeds of the Spirit through our actions.

We can reap good things, or bad things, it’s up to us. If we want to cultivate a better world we have to start implementing the above acts of service to others within our own lives, and sowing the correct seeds abundantly. Those seeds grow and spread-and it starts with you, it starts with us. It starts within our homes, our places of employment, our circles of influence, and our communities.

We are the change our world needs.

Are you ready to make a difference?

Don’t be misled–you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone–especially to those in the family of faith.

Galatians 6:7-10

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