I remember being elbow deep in dishwater with a toddler hanging on my leg and thinking, “God. There must be something I can do for her.”
The “her” I was thinking of was my neighbor, a young woman in her early twenties who was newly married. She was still in college and had just given her life to the Lord. She was filled with questions and needs. They lived in a really run down home, had very little material possessions and even less income. I desperately wanted to serve her in some way but we weren’t very well off either so I offered what I had but those weren’t things she needed. So, I prayed.
Within two weeks God answered me. Another lady from church called me up and asked me if I wanted her daughter’s old clothing because she had moved out and left it behind. It was two closets full of designer brand clothing. Of course I said yes. When I got there and began to load it up I quickly realized that the stuff wouldn’t fit me. I was a size 6 and this stuff was like a size 4 or smaller, but I still held on to that hope.
When I got it home I tried the stuff on and the pile of “it doesn’t fit” stuff just grew and grew. I was near mad at God and began asking Him why in the world He would give me this stuff if I couldn’t wear it. Then He whispered to my heart, “Because it is not for you.”
In that instant I realized that He had provided me with a way to bless “her,” my sweet neighbor. She was much smaller than me and didn’t have the means to purchase such expensive clothing and shoes. When she came over to pick it up she was in tears. She was just so thankful for it. I had never been so full of joy as I was when I realized just how much this was what she needed.
I realized later that God had no need to put me in the middle of this blessing. He could have had that sweet lady from church provide the clothing directly to my neighbor friend. We all worshiped together and they knew each other well. But… I had asked God to allow me to serve His daughters in some way and He provided it.
The spirit of God lives inside of you. His desire is to love and serve all of His children. If you ask Him to provide a way for you to minister to others then He most certainly will. It may come in the form of bringing a piece of pie to the neighbor, designing a flyer for a benefit dinner, creating cards for someone who is ill, growing a garden to share, or even providing clothes – that you never purchased – to give to someone in need.
We must stop entertaining the thoughts that we have nothing of value to offer. We must stop feeling as though someone else could always do it better or that what we have to give just isn’t good enough. Those are all lies. God’s word does not return void. It absolutely accomplishes what it set forth to do (Isaiah 55:11). His word tells us that as we give to others then we ourselves will be refreshed. Not only that, I can’t think of a better way to take my mind off of me than by serving someone else.
The generous prosper and are satisfied; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
Prov. 11:25
Questions to ponder:
- In the past, how has God lead you to serve someone in a way that was not quite how you would have expected?
- What can you do today to serve someone else without spending a dime?
- How have you benefited or been blessed by God after serving someone else?
