Serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13

We are saved to serve. We do not only take and receive; we also give and share.

Servants give themselves. It is more blessed to serve – to give oneself – than to give things. Foreign missionaries give their lives. They uproot themselves from family and friends, from their culture and security. They go to strange lands with different cultures and languages. It is simple for most of us to give money for their support. That is a blessed service, of course, but it is a different level from the service of self.

God accepts our service of things. He talks about feeding the hungry and giving a drink to the thirsty. He accepts these actions and things, done in love and faith, as good works. Most of that comes easily, but He also talks about housing the stranger, assisting the sick, and visiting the prisoner. Volunteers serve by cleaning the church. Others give a donation. A member visits the jail and ministers to its inmates. Others finance a chaplain, and that also is good. But it is the giving of ourselves in service that is most costly and difficult.

Every service given, whether of ourselves or of our possessions, is motivated by our love for Christ. He enables us to serve. As He empowers us through His Word and sacraments, our service becomes a privilege and a joy.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, increase our love for You so we may serve both You and one another. Amen.

(Devotions from “The Abundant Life” copyright 1998, 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. Permission is granted for one-time e-mailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)

Today's Bible Readings: 1 Kings 3-4    Proverbs 1    John 19:1-22

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