“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Luke 4:18-19
Eons ago, the Salvation Army organization hosted an international conference for its employees. Their founder, William Booth, was supposed to give the keynote address, but he fell seriously ill days before the conference and could not travel. Those who had gathered for the conference were told he would not be attending but had sent a letter that would be read at the conference. As the envelope was opened, the employees waited with bated breath to hear what their revered founder was going to tell them.
The letter contained just one word, “OTHERS.” That one word impacted those who attended the conference in an extremely profound way. It reminded them of their God-given mission on earth. It reminded them that the meaningful Christian life is always about serving others. Jesus himself sets the tone in Luke 4:18 when he announces his intention at the beginning of his ministry on earth. He says: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18-19).” What Jesus establishes here, is that walking in the Spirit is always about serving others.
As we begin a new week, who are you serving? Are you walking in the Spirit as Jesus did? The temptation to serve self is extremely powerful and always beckoning to us. But believers are called to fight this temptation, and Jesus assures victory in his name. God calls us from darkness to light by his grace, not to focus on self, but to live and give our lives in service to others.
This week, let us challenge ourselves to think of that one word, OTHERS, in every situation we encounter because this life is not about us, but about God’s purposes on this earth. AMEN!