At the heart of Christianity is the call to live for the good of other people. Certainly that is at the core of God's actions. What He did in creation was for the good of what He created. What He did in providing salvation was for the good of those who had rebelled against Him. An essential part of God's identity is that He serves.
Since we have been called to be like God, to live in His Image, we also are to serve. As Pastor Tim challenged us on Sunday, one way we are to serve, as the writer of Hebrews says, is in spurring other people on to love and good works. We should behave in a way that leads other people to love others more and to act in better ways than if we weren't there.
So how might we do that? What is one thing you can do today that will lead the people around you to love more and to serve more? It is easy to lead people to judge and dislike each other. What could I do today to increase kindness and reduce judgment?
One simple thing that we can do is to meet together with other Christians with the specific intention of helping them grow. We might do that over lunch or in a small group meeting, like a Bible study. But it takes more than being with people. It takes challenging them, perhaps sharing with them something that we are learning. It certainly involves some risk, but it is also a key part of being like God. You don't have to become an extrovert if you are more introverted. But whatever your natural tendency, you do need to find ways to help someone else live more like God.
So if you aren't in a small group or meeting with someone else regularly with the goal of helping each other toward love and good deeds, why don't you move toward that today? Join one of our small groups, or ask someone else if you could meet with the goal of helping each other grow. And trust God to bless that effort to put into practice His Word.
