Luke 14:13 “But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,”
In Luke 14:7-15, Jesus is providing an example of how we should serve others. In this parable, Jesus plainly stated that rather than doing for others who can return the favor, we should be doing for those we know cannot return the “favor”.
My husband spent time reading the gospels last weekend, and this particular passage stood out to him. He was convicted of the message Jesus is preaching here, and how we do not follow this simple command. With teary eyes, we talked about how we know we fail the Lord, and that there is so much more we can do. He shared this scripture and his conviction with the girls and one of their friends, to encourage them to serve. We talked about how we would begin praying for the Lord to show us how He wanted us to fulfill this command.
We talked about how we didn’t want to just talk about it. We wanted to put action to our words. We’re tired of being convicted by the Word and not then doing nothing more than talking to each other about it. The Gospel of Jesus is active, not passive.
The very next day, as we’re still feeling the need to follow this command, and hearing a sermon about getting the garbage out of our lives, God gave us an opportunity to obey. It’s almost as if he placed it right in our hands and said “Go”. And He did it through two teenage girls.
My oldest step-daughter and her friend had a deep desire to provide a memorable and fun night for a group of kids who can do absolutely nothing for us in return. I know that desire was placed on their hearts by the Lord. I know that the events of the week that led to that night of service were orchestrated by God. I know that the Lord led my husband to read that particular verse on that particular day. I know that God can work mightily through anyone willing to obey. My husband and I, I hate to admit, we’re hoping for a quiet evening at home. But I am oh so glad that we didn’t follow our selfish desires. All praise and glory goes to God!
Graceful Living 