If you are anything like I am, you probably think that serving others is a good idea. I know individuals who serve at a soup kitchen on Thanksgiving Day, or volunteer to assist teachers in a classroom, or snowplow their neighbor’s driveway. These deeds of service are admirable and they speak love. But how are we at finding time to actually serve others?
I appreciate the words of Pastor and Author Rob Bentz who writes, “Two primary challenges face all of us. First, there’s time. Who has enough of it? Who has any extra time that they’re eagerly seeking to give away? Nobody I know. Our own pace ties our hands of service behind our back. Our own busy, crazy, hectic lifestyles are an enemy of service. Our head and our heart may lead us to the edge of service, but our busyness drives us backward. Next our own lack of intentionality. If we are not seeking to serve, it likely won’t happen. We’ll hope to serve. We’ll wish to serve. We’ll wish we had served. We’ll convince ourselves that someday we will serve, but service won’t happen unless we pursue specific service opportunities.”
I don’t know about you but I am convicted by these words. They motivate me to be intentional about carving out time to serve others in some meaningful way. But it is something I am going to have to work at. I hope they do the same for you.