JULY 3, 2013
Service
And Witness
Read: 2
Corinthians 4:1-12
We do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves
your
bondservants for Jesus’ sake. —2
Corinthians 4:5
While
serving as a maid in London, England, in the early part of the 20th century,
Gladys Aylward had other dreams. Her goal was to be a missionary to China.
Having
been rejected by a Christian missionary organization as “unqualified,”
Gladys decided
to go there on her own. At the age of 28, she used her life
savings to purchase a
one-way ticket to Yangcheng, a remote village in China.
There she established an
inn for trade caravans where she shared Bible stories.
Gladys served in other villages
as well and became known as Ai-weh-deh,Chinese for “virtuous one.”
The
apostle Paul also spread the gospel to distant regions of the world. He
extended
himself as a servant to meet the needs of others (2 Cor. 11:16-29). He
wrote this
about serving: “We do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the
Lord, and ourselves
your bondservants for Jesus’ sake” (4:5).
Not
all of us are called to endure hardship to spread the gospel in distant lands.
But
each of us is responsible as a servant of God to share Christ with people
in our sphere
of influence. It’s our privilege to help our neighbors, friends,
and relatives. Ask God for
openings to serve and to talk about Jesus who gave
Himself for us.
My life is a painting created by God,
And as such I’ve nothing to boast;
Reflecting the image of Christ to the world
Is what I desire the most. —Sper
We serve God by sharing His Word with others.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
