Day 18 | SERVE - God made dirt, and dirt don’t hurt

Today’s Scripture:

But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today. - Matthew 6:33-34

Full Scripture Reading: Matthew 6: 25-34 

Today’s Thought: 

Do you ever worry about getting dirty. I mean, let’s be honest. We all do. We all worry about getting stains on our pants, or spilling coffee on our shirt, or getting our hands dirty. Think about that though, was this true when we were kids though? 

When we were kids, it was an inevitable reality that we were going to get dirty. Not only dirty, but that we were going to get sweaty, smelly, dare I say gross. Anyone who has been around a child after an outside playtime, we get this, don’t we. If I dwell here for a moment I begin to think that the relationship with their friends and the time together playing and being creative and making up stories and dreaming up imaginary worlds far outweighed any thoughts of “am I sweating?” or “do I stink.” We placed priority on the relationship and living life to the fullest instead of worrying about our appearance.

Mission work feels like that. Serving others feels like that. As we grow into adulthood, we have to make a choice to serve in ways that others don’t normally see us. We have to make a choice when we go to clean up the streets that we are going to be picking up someone else’s trash and our shoes will get muddy and dusty walking off the trails to get it. When we help someone with an accessibility ramp into their homes we know that the Arkansas heat is going to cause us to sweat right through our clothes in all of 5 minutes. When we plant trees in the local park our hands are going to be in the soil and we will be wiping them off on our “work jeans.” 

The hands and feet of Jesus is about God creating in us a clean heart, not clean clothes. Serving others should be a celebration of getting a little dirty, there should be a moment where we realize being made in the image of God is having others witness that the relationship to others and our community is more important than how we look on the outside! 

God made dirt and dirt don’t hurt. Where are you serving next?

Today’s Prayer: 

Let us pray.

Lord, I am before you today having got ready for the day this morning. Showered, teeth brushed, hair done, clothes ironed, walking out the door. Challenge me today Lord. Challenge me to be ready to be called into your serve in ways that are not flattering, but in ways that are humbling. Call me into your service in ways that show me strength that I did not know that I had before. Remind me that I am dust and to dust I shall return as I serve others in any way that you call me. Today Lord, lift up the child-like faith in my heart. Lift up the relationship to others as the joy in me to serve you and send me with your mission laid on my heart. It is in these things that we pray, in your Holy and Precious Name, and all God’s people said, AMEN.