Unsung Heroes: Encouragement of Barnabas — Friday
Matthew 25:4
…“Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” (NIV)
One of my favorite things about the way God has created me is that I love to serve. In terms of the “love languages,” I consider acts of service to be the primary way I show love to others. I am that person who would have 7 volunteer roles in one week if I physically had the time because I enjoy it so much. I love serving not because I know the job needs to be done, but because I really do believe the Lord created me to be a servant for His Kingdom, and it brings me so much joy to live out that calling.
Since I started going to Southland, I’ve gotten to serve in two different ministries: middle school and Glow. Oftentimes when people hear that I work with middle schoolers and adults with special needs, they say something along the lines of, “Oh wow, you are so brave!” or “I could never do that.” And my response is usually, “Well, I love it!” Which is the truth—I do love hanging out with smelly middle schoolers. And I do love hanging out with the adults in our church that may require a little extra assistance. But I think that Jesus is clear when He says, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”
Barnabas loved unlovable people and encouraged discouraged people. We benefit from the writings of Paul because of the encouragement of Barnabas. His investment in people throughout the book of Acts leads us to where we are today. He lived out the teachings of Christ through his actions, and his impact helped further the Kingdom of God. Isn’t that what God wants from all of us?
Some of you reading this already faithfully serve in our church. Some of you haven’t yet taken the steps to start serving. What better time than now? There are so many ways you could serve within our church, but I’ll recommend a few based on my own experience:
If you care about the future generation, Southland Students might be the place for you! You could be a group leader, or you could help make a student’s Wednesday night experience so great that they want to return to every week for the rest of their school career.
If you have a passion for working with people with disabilities, no experience is necessary to serve in our Glow environment on Sunday mornings! Some of the most fun days I have had at Southland have been in that room, and I can promise you that your life will be impacted in ways you can’t imagine.
Friday’s Reflection
Head on over to southland.church/volunteer to learn more about serving. If one of the two ministries mentioned above resonates with you, please email me to hear more!