A Servant for God
Jennie Li & Kevin Nguyen / Light Your World / Week 9 / Monday, May 25, 2009
Summary
How do we serve God? There are multiple ways in which we can serve God: through ministry, volunteering, abiding by his commandments, etc. However, there is one particular way in which we can directly serve him: reaching out to each other. God wants us to treat each other with the utmost kindness and love. What we do for others, we do for God because he lives within us all. Jesus once said, “As you have done unto the least of these, so have you done unto me” Matt. 25:40.
Reading
John 13:33-35
"My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, 'Where I go you cannot come,' so now I say it to you. I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."Matthew 25:35-40
"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me."Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Questions
1). Servant for God - As a servant for God, we must build and maintain a healthy relationship with him in order to understand his intentions for our lives. Without a healthy relationship, it can become easy to end up lost in our own agendas. How do you nurture your relationship with God? When do you feel closest to him? How does being closer to God enable you to become a better servant for him?
2). Taking love for granted - God calls on us to love friends and strangers alike. However, sometimes we forget to love those closest to us because we take their presence for granted. Who do you show the most love to? In contrast, who shows you the most love?
3) Finding love in reaching out - Jesus teaches that the best way to show your love for him is to love others compassionately. Sometimes, it may be more convenient to only love those close to you. Describe a time when you reached out to love someone not as close to you. How did that make you feel? How do you think that made the other person feel? If you feel called to, share about how you feel the aspect of reaching out to others in Hat Cai has improved the strength or closeness of this group.
4). Overcoming constraints - In the story of Punchinello, there are two characters that we can relate to. There is Punchinello who is troubled by worldy constraints, in contrast to Lucia, whose relationship with God allows her to openly share her love to others. In a village of judging Wemmicks, these two manage to live out God's love - as a giver and recipient of love. How do worldly constraints prevent us from loving others? How have you tried to overcome these constraints to love compassionately?