How?

I feel a very strong responsibility to help the poor, a very strong call to see people in the most dire situations empowered and given new life and hope.

As unique as this call may seem to me sometimes. It's not. It is the call of all followers of Christ. It is the call to be like Jesus, to care about what he cares about and to model our lives after his.

I wish this strong sense of call was enough though. I wish it was the only thing I needed to live a life that models Christ. But honestly, living like Jesus just feels flat out impossible most of the time.

I often feel the need to give myself a pep talk before entering into a situation where I know love will be required of me and I will most likely get nothing in return. I find myself needing to grasp onto every ounce of strength and spiritual knowledge I have.

But the words of the apostle Paul in Galatians speak to that feeling: "Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal with human effort?" (Galatians 3:3)


How quickly we forget about the Holy Spirit!


A continued reliance on and connection with the Holy Spirit is the only way we can take the focus off of ourselves, experience the freedom of knowing Christ, and humbly serve one another in love. It's the whole reason Jesus said to the disciples that his departure from earth would be better for them, because he was sending his spirit.


You have a purpose, you have a calling. God has gifted you in very specific ways to do very specific things for his kingdom. The life you are living, no one else will ever live. Therefore we should not be fearful of the task ahead of us. We should not fear when we feel like we have nothing to give, or when  every obstacle comes against us.


We have direct access to God the father through the Holy Spirit. We have direct access to love itself. Let's use it to serve one another and to do what seems impossible. Let's use it to love without expecting in return. Let's draw all our strength from it.


"You were called to be free, do not use your freedom to indulge in the sinful nature, rather serve one another in love." (galatians 3:13)