I have a heart for service and serving others by showing them Christ’s love.
I also have a tendency to think big and to desire to do the “bigger” things in ministry. During college I enjoyed going on short term mission trips to the inner city. I served food in homeless shelters and shared the gospel of Christ with many people there.
I also volunteered in a Children’s Shelter, pouring love out to children who were often unloved and mistreated.
In this season of life where I am homeschooling four little children, I often am not able to take on those “bigger” services.
My first place of service is right here in my home.
I am learning that I can do much right where I am though.
I am learning that Christ as us to be obedient where we are.
In this season, I don’t have an excuse not to serve, my service my just look different than what I once imagined.
And in doing so, I am teaching my own children to have a heart for serving as well.
I signed up through my Bible Study class at PWOC to take a meal to a new mother.
It wasn’t necessarily convenient to plan an extra meal into our week and prepare it on a busy-let’s get back to the grind-Monday.
Nor was it convenient to load my four children into the car on Monday afternoon and drive across the city to deliver it.
But my children saw me doing these things.
As I have been pondering how I can involve my children in ministry and teach them to have a heart for serving others and sharing Christ’s love with them, I decided to do something different on Monday.
Before we loaded into the car to deliver our meal, I sat down with my little ones and told them what we were doing. They had questions about why we were taking a meal to another family and why we do this for moms after they have a baby.
I explained that God desires for us to serve others and to share His love with them.
I explained that when moms have a new baby, they’re focused on taking care of their needs and it is a ministry to prepare a meal for their family so that they’re free to focus on the baby.
I explained that this is one way we can show Christ’s love to others.
And after explaining all these things I prayed for the family we were taking a meal to with my children. One of my little ones joined in and said the sweetest prayer of her own.
I am so thankful that I had this opportunity to serve and teach my children about service and ministry to others.
I think next time, I’ll also involve them in actually preparing the meal.
Camilla Blue says
I appreciate this post so much. Teaching our kids to serve is almost entirely modeling at this stage. This is such a great reminder.
MaryRuth says
I love this post. I too try to engage my two boys in service on a (fairly) regular basis… its not always easy and almost never convenient… but I believe in starting them young.
I love the idea about praying for the person you are serving as well.
thanks!