Serving God = Serving All (and vice versa)

Whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? —1 John 3:17

This verse is always very challenging to me... especially at these tough economic times. I do pass people who have need for something. That's why we tend to live in socially stratified neighborhoods. Imagine the university professor living next door to the one room apartment filled with 3 different immigrant families. They couldn't live with their mansion next to that. They would see the disparity every day... it would be harder for that professor to 'shut up his/her heart.' Perhaps that's what we need... as certain lots in Ocean City NJ are designated for business and others for personal dwellings and others for duplexes, perhaps we need a zoning system where there is a broad range of income levels on each block. Maybe then we would allow it to affect us in a real way and show God's love to people in need.

But, not everyone has a 'hardened heart.' Just this week my friend V had her bike stolen from her... unfortunately since she's only been here for a few months. And we were talking about how wonderful it is that someone would just give her a bike that they weren't using.... God's love, I'm sure is shown through people who care so much about their brothers and sisters to meet the needs whenever and however they can.

⁵Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. ⁶Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. ⁷Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, ⁸because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. -Ephesians 6:5-8

This is another one of those Paul verses that people try to avoid, but if you look closely it's quite similar to the wives and husbands text from the other day. It's a different rhetorical style for us, because the important piece comes last... whereas we're comfortable with it coming first. He starts off talking about slave only to reach his main point- that we should be 'slaves' of Christ... doing His will from our heart, no matter if we think His eye is on us or not. We should do it for the Lord and not for man. I have taken to sending my tithe into church, which is much easier for me, especially coming from Brazil where I'd give my tithe without anyone knowing. Not everyone had a tithe to give, so we didn't want to make a show of what we were doing.

I also always appreciated more the service projects where things could be given anonymously... so that people could appreciate that it was a gift from the Lord and not from certain people at all. Because it is not to our glory, so that our 'right hand may not know.' We don't need a reward for what we give or don't give or do or don't do, because that reward may hopefully be the reflection that people can see in the love of Jesus. I'd love to send cards to people in need... signing them simply: Jesus. It's all for Your honor, Lord. I give it all to You... teach me more and more how to serve you wholeheartedly and wholly for You.