Sharing and Serving--SAME THING?

Learning to love something you hate isn’t always fun.

                        I’m having a harder time remembering but I’ve been told when I was two sharing wasn’t something easy for me. In my line of work I see that this is true for just about every two year old. Saying, “MINE!”, is a lot more fun than, “SURE I’ll share! Here is my most favorite toy you can play with it, break it and drool all over it then just bring it back whenever you want to and I’ll be glad to play with it at that time.”

                        I think if we are all honest even at whatever age we are sharing is something that at first we hate. We have to learn to love sharing. And true sharing comes from learning how to love. So sharing something with someone you hate is doubly hard.

                        I think serving kinda falls under sharing. To serve someone else you have to be willing to share all of yourself with that person. You have to be vulnerable enough to give of yourself. You have to be selfless. Selfishness is what I do best. I like things done my way, don’t you?

                        I think serving and sharing are things I’ve learned to love though.

                        For all those who pay attention to paragraph introductions I’m done thinking, just thought I’d share that with you. Back to my first thoughts, “How have I learned to love the very things I used to honestly hate?”

                        How have I learned to share with others? How have I learned to serve others? Think about Romans 8:5-6, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”

                        Now I hate taking just a couple verses so go on and read all of Romans Chapter 8. This is an amazing chapter in the Bible. I think it illustrates how God changes us by His Word. How Jesus gives us life in the Spirit. How we are one with Christ. It illustrates how we are loved by God.

                        The Spirit of God has enable me to share with others and to serve others. It hasn’t just enable me it has propelled me to do so. God’s love is so amazing that nothing can separate me from it. Not even selfishness.

                        God says that I am a co-heir with Christ. Can you even fathom that? I can’t even get my pea-sized brain around that fact. What riches, what wonders, what majesty, what amazing grace that God would share so much, that God would share everything, that God would show exactly what a servant leader looks like in Christ.

            This type of love lives inside of me. It can’t help but be infectious. As much as I try to I can’t help but share it. I can’t help but want to serve others. Amazing love how can it be, that thou my God would die for me?

            Take time to share your story with someone today. Then take time to serve someone. Find time to share and serve others today, you’ll be glad you did.