Serve Our World Like Jesus Did
Jesus came not to be served but to serve.
His mission was to meet needs by serving. He invited his followers to do the same. However, thinking about ways to meet all of the needs of people in our world can be a bit daunting. Jesus invites his followers to actively engage in his mission.
Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” (Matthew 9:37-38)
Serve our world is a massive mission idea that can be distilled down to its simplest form to follow – help people the way Jesus did.
If we’re going to help people the way Jesus did, we need to learn how he helped people.
HERE ARE FOUR STEPS EVERY FOLLOWER OF JESUS CAN TAKE TO HELP PEOPLE THE WAY HE DID:
1. See people the way Jesus did.
Jesus saw beyond the external image of the crowd and saw the internal condition of each person’s heart. If we don’t see people the way Jesus did, we’ll never know how to help people the way he did.
2. Show compassion the way Jesus did.
Compassion is a deep feeling or emotion of sympathy for someone who is suffering. Jesus never judged people for why they were suffering if they deserved it. He went to where people were living, he healed every sickness and disease, and taught them the good news of the kingdom of God. May we do the same.
3. Share the good news the way Jesus did.
Mark’s gospel records how Jesus introduced himself to begin his mission. “The time promised by God has come at last!” Jesus announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” (Mark 1:15) He entrusted his message to his followers.
4. Pray “Lord, Send Me.”
Jesus directed his followers to pray for more workers to be sent into the fields. Here are specific prayers to pray as action steps to actively engage with the mission of Jesus.
• Who is the one? Identify a specific person in your life who is not a follower of Jesus and pray “Lord send me and use me to point them to you.”
• What is the need? Identify a specific need that you see and pray “Lord send me and use me to meet that need.”
• How can I help? Be specific, schedule a time, and follow through. Compassion in action is more than an idea but a practical step.
Imagine if every person who follows Jesus helped someone become a follower of Jesus. The kingdom of God will expand as we do what Jesus did.