Serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13
More thoughts on snow today. Heavy snow seems to bind people together and moves them to help each other. One Sunday morning two men shoveled out their entire court so that all of the apartment residents could get their cars out. When a car got stuck in the parking lot of a school, two adults plus several teenagers shoveled and pushed to get the car going.
Perhaps we have a second answer to the little boy’s question: “Why does God let it keep snowing so much?” God is sending snow to encourage us to serve others in need. Or as Paul says in Galatians, “Serve one another in love.” The two answers are complementary. We need to slow down and recognize our need for God. He alone can make us His own and forgive our sins through Jesus Christ. Then when we realize that He has done everything for us, we are moved in turn to start helping others.
So often we show indifference to others. Perhaps a snowstorm is needed to wake us up to people obviously in need of assistance. Even snowstorms provide no panacea. I suspect that if snow continues for an extended period, our initial enthusiasm for pushing stalled cars and shoveling whole parking lots might quickly fade.
Nevertheless, helping others can be a real joy. The comradeship and enjoyment you experience from helping your neighbor in a snowstorm can become a permanent part of your life. Stop thinking only of your own problems. Get involved in the lives of others. That’s the meaning of serving one another in love.
Remember why you serve and how you are able to serve – because God sent His Son Jesus to be a servant and to humble Himself and become obedient unto death, even death on a cross. He served you and frees you to serve others. Let it snow!
PRAYER: Lord, give me strength and guidance to serve others in small, practical ways. Amen.
(Devotions from “My Daily Devotion” by Dr. Stephen J. Carter, copyright 1988, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. For ordering information, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040, or visit www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: Genesis 25-26 Matthew 18:1-20
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