Steps to Serving Others

I've had some people tell me recently that my blog is challenging them, but they are not sure what to do about it. God calls every Christian to make a difference in this world, so failure to act is not an option. Here are some suggestions I have for anyone who has been challenged by God's call to reach the lost and serve the poor:

Examine Your Lifestyle: Are there things in your life that are holding you back from serving others or giving yourself away to people in need? Sometimes a comfortable lifestyle can hold us back. If your finances (debt, house payments, cars, credit cars, college funds, or retirement) are keeping you from serving others, then it is time for you to do some radical things to get out of that bondage. If your job has you working too much to have the time to spend with people who are hurting in this world, then I would suggest to you that it is time to change jobs. Work is not a cursed condition. Work is a gift from God. Work should not be hindering you from serving others. Don't get stuck on this step! You do not need to get your life perfectly in order before you can start to help others. Right now is the time to get involved.

Take the First Step: I know that many people cannot make the jump from not being involved at all to mentoring an inner city kid once a week for three or four hours. I suggest that people start serving the poor by simply taking some first steps such as serving meals at a homeless shelter or taking a short term missions trip. Sure, the experience will not be very transformational in the big picture of things for the people that you are helping in that short amount of time, but this part of the process is more about you overcoming fears and beginning to discover the joy that God gives us when we help other people. Don't get stuck on this step! Many Christians show up to help poor people once or twice just to make themselves feel better, and then they bail on the people who they are trying to help when things get tough. Keep going!

It's All About Relationships: Many Christians want to help others, but they don't want to risk getting involved relationally. Ask yourself some of these tough questions: "Do I know any poor and/or hurting people (not all poor people are hurting or in pain... many don't feel the need to elevate themeselves to the lofty heights of middle class norms in America!)? In where I live, work, and play, do I come into contact with people who are different than me racially or socioeconomically? Are people who are hungry dining at my table?" If you do not know, and I mean deeply, relationally, know, any people who are marginalized by mainstream society, then that is a major problem for you if you are a Christian. God has a special place in his heart for people who are poor or suffering or outcast by society, and he has a special call for Christians to do something about it in our world. If you are not deeply involved relationally with people who are different from you racially or socioeconomically, then that is a major problem for you as a Christian. Christians should be leaders, on the cutting edge in society, in the areas of racial and socioecomic reconciliation. Instead, people in America often say that Sunday morning is the most segregated time of the week because Christians are so bad at worshipping with people who are different than us. If you are not sharing your home and your food with people who are desperately hungry in your own city, then that is a major problem. It's easy for us to give monthly support to starving kids in Africa that we see on TV, and then turn our backs on hungry children in our own city. My point is that all Christians should be involved in meaningful, consistent, long term relationships with people who are marginalized by society and with people who are different than us. I think every Christian in America ought to mentor a young person. But, don't get stuck there! Keep moving!

Compassion and Justice: Christians are called to act both compassionately and justly. Compassion means that we do something nice for somebody just because we want to help them. There are no expectations for anything in return. We just give. Compassion is not bad. It is a part of what Christians are supposed to be doing in the world. However, most Christians get stuck at compassion and they fail to live out their other role which is to act justly. We should be empowering the poor by removing systemic evil from our society which oppresses the poor. We should be equipping others by acting powerfully to seek out all types of injustices. All Christians can, and should, act powerfully in order to serve others. Justice often comes with a great cost, but it is what we as Christians are called to do. This means making sure all children get a good education. It means that businesses thrive in hurting communities and that people have access to good jobs. It means that dysfunctional laws are changed. You could move your family into an under-resourced neighborhood. Justice means many different types of things, but we cannot sit back and watch people being hurt by injustices without acting.

I have lots more that I could write, but I'll stop there. Get involved in your city! Start building relationships with people in need! Your actions will change the lives of others, but I know that your life will be changed forever as well. God is pleased when we are obedient to his call to reach marginalized people in the world.