But I Don't Have Anything Left to Give

November 2, 2012          

         

   “Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so they  
   can go  . . . and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here." ¹³ He
   replied, "You give them something to eat."    Luke 9:12-13

          Frankly sometimes I just don’t feel like serving others.

          The disciples didn’t feel like it all the time either.   Who knows, maybe Jesus in
          his humanity, didn’t always feel like it either.   

In the feeding of the five thousand narrative, the disciples were tired, but Jesus, always the great coach, refused to let them off the hook.   So they did it.   They found some food, approached Jesus, and as they served, Jesus multiplied their resources.  

This is exactly how it works.  Jesus replenishes depleted resources.    When I take action for God I gain energy and discover resources I wasn’t aware of.    When I avoid serving God I lose energy and never mine the resources available. 

Of course this depends on heeding Jesus’ call, not the call of codependency, and this requires discernment.   It also requires daily time with Jesus in prayer and bible reading and weekly worship.  

Yet the call is consistent throughout scripture.   We are our brother’s Keeper.

 

“Lord, help me to say yes to you a whole lot more than I say yes to myself.   Amen”