I Wonder

I Wonder

Then shall he answer them, saying , Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. -- Matthew 25:45

Sometimes we need to check ourselves when it comes to the matter of our service to the Lord. Too easily we can slip into the mindset of wanting others to notice what WE are doing and HOW we are serving. When we serve others, we are serving HIM not ourselves. When we serve HIM, it really doesn't matter when or if we ever get the credit.

I came across this poem by Ruth Harms Calkin, which was a good reminder for me:

You know, Lord, how I serve you
With great emotional fervor
In the limelight.
You know how eagerly
I speak for you at ___________.
You know how I effervesce
when I promote
a fellowship group.
You know my genuine enthusiasm
at a Bible study.

But how would I react, I wonder,
If you pointed to a basin of water
And asked me to wash
the calloused feet
Of a bent and wrinkled old woman (man)
Day after day,
Month after month,
In a room where nobody saw
And nobody knew?

Wow. Important words to ponder for us today. Each year we have a group of volunteers from SOWERS: Servants on Wheels Ever Ready. At the conclusion of their daily devotional they stand in a circle holding hands and sing an old hymn, OUR BEST:

Hear ye the Master’s call, “Give Me thy best!”
For, be it great or small, that is His test.
Do then the best you can, not for reward,
Not for the praise of men, but for the Lord.

Refrain
Every work for Jesus will be blest,
But He asks from everyone his best.
Our talents may be few, these may be small,
But unto Him is due our best, our all.

Wait not for men to laud, heed not their slight;
Winning the smile of God brings its delight!
Aiding the good and true ne’er goes unblest,
All that we think or do, be it the best.

Who are you serving today? I wonder! -- Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK

God's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 21; Isaiah 62-64; 1 Timothy 1

Great Quote: I shall act as my own if I ever make use of any of my powers to do anything that is not to the glory of God, or to fail to make the glorifying of Him my whole and entire business. If I murmur in the least at afflictions; if I am in any way uncharitable; if I revenge my own case; if I do anything purely to please myself, or omit anything because it is a great denial; if I trust to myself; if I take any praise for any good which Christ does by me; or if I am in any way proud, I shall act as my own and not God's. I purpose to be absolutely His. Jonathan Edwards