As our Lent Reflections continue Jae Early reflects on how God has equipped each of us uniquely to love and serve where He has placed us. As our mission statement confirms, we are putting God’s love into action building homes, communities and hope.
Sometimes things are just hard on this earth. We try and try, but we fail in so many ways and wonder, “What difference can I make?” From relationships with others, to work, to the problems of poverty and homelessness, and even to our relationship with God, life can appear overwhelming and sometimes hopeless. But it isn’t.
Throughout God’s Word to us in the Bible, God constantly tells us we are not alone, and when we align our desires with Him through Christ, great power flows freely to make a difference in this world (John 15:5). Of course, this requires radical faith in the knowledge that God is really who He says He is — that He is, in fact, sovereign over all.
He tells us He is love (1 John 4:8) and that without love, we do not know Him. Without love, we cannot access His power and serve others whom He loves just as much as He loves each of us.
Each day, we have the opportunity to deny our self-driven desires and wants and to take up our cross and follow Christ (Matthew 16:24). Without the sacrificial love of placing others before ourselves, we won’t be living out the kind of radical faith that Christ taught and demonstrated. And we won’t be making the kind of impact in this world that He desires. Too often we settle for so much less, concentrating on our personal world and neglecting those whom God has put in our paths to love in word and deed. The abundant life He wants for us is possible only with that sacrificial mindset and lifestyle (John 10:10).
Can we be all things to all people? No. God has equipped each of us uniquely to love and serve where He has placed us. We are all blessed that He has chosen to place us at Habitat for Humanity, to tangibly serve those who need the basics of life. In so doing, as our mission statement confirms, we are putting God’s love into action building homes, communities and hope.
Prayer
Dear God, we praise You for who You are — the God of love, creation, salvation and eternal life through Christ. We praise You for the ability to love and serve others. Please help us have the radical faith necessary to have the abundant, meaningful life You have planned for us. Please help us be good stewards of all Your great blessings.
Amen.
Click here to download all the reflections and prayers from the Habitat world during the 40 days of Lent
