"Lighting the Fire"
Jotting – Week 18

Give One’s Self

“Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Galatians 1:3-5).

The dictionary online that I often use has 33 definitions of the word “give,” among which are these two: “to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation; bestow”; and “to relinquish or sacrifice.”

That is what God did when He gave His Son Jesus to die for our sins. God had created people in His likeness, for His glory. When Adam and Eve sinned, the relationship they had with God was broken–seemingly beyond repair. But God had already planned a way of salvation for humankind. The first verses of Ephesians say in part: “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will” (verses 4-5; emphasis added).

God gave up His only Son that we might live life to the full here on earth and someday in heaven. He chose us to be His, to live for Him, to work for Him (“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” Ephesians 2:10); to spread the Good News of salvation to others (“[Jesus] said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature’” Mark 16:15); and to give God glory (Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” Matthew 5:16).

When we know our Savior well, when we study His Word and learn to listen to His voice, He will open our eyes to opportunities to give of ourselves to others in His name. Our treatment of others will cause people to know that we belong to Jesus–and draw others to Him: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

Parents know what it’s like to give themselves to their children, especially at 2 in the morning. Fixing a meal or a broken toy, taking time to read a book or a report card, listening to a first grader read and a high school senior tell about the prom are all ways of giving–if we do so in love, with joy and a tender heart.

Waiting patiently in line–with a friendly smile– while a clerk tries to explain to the customer in front of us why the cost of an item is so much; graciously giving way to another in a line of cars; helping pick up spilled items in a hallway are small ways of giving ourselves. When someone asks, “Why do you do that?” “What makes you so patient/loving/caring/giving?” we can be ready to say, “Because Jesus loves me” or “I’m giving away the love Jesus gives me.”

Giving of ourselves can mean taking a Saturday morning to hang church invitations on door knobs; spending time praying around a neighborhood or with friends or for church and government leaders. Giving of ourselves may take the form of listening while a loved one pours out frustrations at the turn life is taking for him or her; encouraging someone in the faith walk; speaking a Biblical word of counsel to another who has chosen a path that can lead to destruction or despair.

Giving oneself can involve setting a time to pray for missions, for Christians under persecution, for those spreading the Gospel under hazardous conditions. It can call for teaching VBS in an inner city church, preparing meals for someone newly home from the hospital, creating and donating supplies for a preschool classroom, volunteering for lunch duty for a classroom teacher, making calls for a new church, sponsoring and praying for a worker or team of workers in a mission endeavor, taking part in a mission trip (go to http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=960 for mission opportunities); assembling care packages for those serving in the armed forces, visiting those confined to their homes or nursing homes or in hospitals, being an advocate for a child or teenager facing problems, helping new parents through difficult times, taking care of aging parents’ needs, being the chauffeur for a senior citizen’s doctor appointment.

The list can go on and on. God promises to bless the work we do for Him, the giving of ourselves and our sacrifices: “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).

(Note: if you have more ideas on this subject or have given of yourself in someway to the kingdom of God, please send them to me at msjtexas@aol.com with the subject line: Giving of Myself.)

Pray: Jesus, You have commanded us to love one another as You have loved us. Your love is so great for us–You even laid down Your very life for us that we may enjoy eternity with You. You call us Your friends and we want to do Your bidding. You chose us and appointed us to go and bear fruit and to ask the Father in Your name for what we need to do the work You give us. Empower us by Your Spirit to give ourselves to You and through You to others so that they might know You as Savior and King. Help us who are rich in Your love share with those who have little. In Your great name we ask this, Amen.