The Power to Serve

Read Matthew 8:1-13/Luke 5:12-16 As Jesus' ministry progressed he had more and more people coming to him seeking healing. He was proclaiming God's word, healing the sick, bringing hope...God was working! As exciting and powerful as it must have been for Jesus and the disciples to be part of such transformation, it must have also been exhausting. The needs in our world today are monumental; people are crying out for a word of hope. The problem is we have neither enough time nor energy to meet all the needs. In Jesus we see not only a deep commitment to serving others with God's amazing love and grace, but also a concerted effort to stay balanced and connected to God. "As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the way places for prayer." (Luke 5:16) Jesus knew that in order to continue serving God and neighbor he needed consistent and regular time devoted to God. Without developing a deep spirituality we can become burned out by the expectations of others and the needs of those around us. But when we can rely upon God to fill and re-fill our cups we will be blessed with the energy and compassion to serve others. As we serve others in the days to come we must remember to receive the life-giving love of God and take daily time for and with God.