Today, the topic for our children's meeting is "others can count on me to serve them". This meeting is to help the children learn the importance of serving others. There is no need to teach them to think of themselves first because it comes naturally. The sister started the meeting by asking the children a question: Are we willing to serve others or we prefer to take care of our own needs? Most children answered sometimes serving others and sometimes more on their own needs. Similary, we were also asked the same questions.
My answer is the same as most of the children. But while I was still pondering over the answer, I realised that I serve others at my convenience.
I remember about the story of how Jesus fed the five thousand in Mark 6:30-44
30The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
32So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.
33But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
34When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
35By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late.
36Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."
37But he answered, "You give them something to eat."
They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages[e]! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?"
38"How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five—and two fish."
39Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.
40So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.
41Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.
42They all ate and were satisfied,
43and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.
44The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
In this story, the apostles were so tired after a hard day work and also they had not eaten. They were supposed to go to a remote place to take a good rest. However, a big crowd recognised them and continued to follow them to the remote place. It was recorded that Jesus had compassion on them and he put their needs first by asking the apostles to prepare food for them.
Our lord is willing to serve others at an inconvenient time, a time when He is supposed to take a good rest with his disciples. I believe that He also has not taken any food yet but his compassion on the people made him put their needs as the first priority.
May the Lord help us to have the willingness to serve others.
My answer is the same as most of the children. But while I was still pondering over the answer, I realised that I serve others at my convenience.
I remember about the story of how Jesus fed the five thousand in Mark 6:30-44
30The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
32So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.
33But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
34When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
35By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late.
36Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."
37But he answered, "You give them something to eat."
They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages[e]! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?"
38"How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five—and two fish."
39Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.
40So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.
41Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.
42They all ate and were satisfied,
43and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.
44The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
In this story, the apostles were so tired after a hard day work and also they had not eaten. They were supposed to go to a remote place to take a good rest. However, a big crowd recognised them and continued to follow them to the remote place. It was recorded that Jesus had compassion on them and he put their needs first by asking the apostles to prepare food for them.
Our lord is willing to serve others at an inconvenient time, a time when He is supposed to take a good rest with his disciples. I believe that He also has not taken any food yet but his compassion on the people made him put their needs as the first priority.
May the Lord help us to have the willingness to serve others.
To be first in His Kingdom, we need to serve! After all, Jesus came to serve and not to be served!
ReplyDeleteBut often times, how much can we serve? (7X7)????
ReplyDeleteHaha, i just learn that we need to be faithful to serve in the place where God put us in. Sis Reena takes pride in her service at home as well as looking after her aged mum. She did all to the glory of God.
ReplyDelete