Give Your Life Away

Are you giving your life away to others? Do you give of yourself to family, friends, co-workers, and in the community where you live? Brenda and I did that today. We watched a young man in our church with some special needs play baseball. We enjoyed ourselves and then went to eat with the family after the game. We learned more about that family over our meal than we have in the entire year they have been attending Faith Community Church.

These are the moments I enjoy as a pastor. I love the little investments we make in the lives of others. Attending ball games, plays, sharing meals, and  having meaningful conversations all are a part of giving our lives away.

Jesus did that. Paul did that. Amy Carmichael did that with little girls being sold into prostitution. George Mueller did that with orphans. Martyn Lloyd-Jones did that through preaching in his own church on Sundays and other meetings during the week for multiple decades. Hudson Taylor gave his life away to the people of China as well as Lottie Moon.

Are you serving a cause bigger than yourself, namely Christ? As you give your life to Him, His purposes, and to other people you find true life. [Matt 16:24-25] [Gal 6:14] When I am crucified with Christ [Gal 2:20] I want to give my love, money, time, and service away. When I live for myself I hoard my life. I don't want to give it away. I grow selfish and resent the very opportunities I have to minister and to serve others.

There are multiple ways to give your life away to others. Acts of service done anonymously is a great place to start. Paying it forward is another great way. You can send a text, email, or letter to let others know how much they mean to you. You can take time to support someone in something they are passionate about. You can bless someone by paying for a meal or have someone over to your house to eat. There are countless ways you can give your life away.

Pick one this week. Pursue it. It does not have to be big. Just find some small way to give your life away to someone else. Make them feel special. Serve their needs over your own.

Now a word of caution. You can overdo this. You can burn yourself out if you give, give, and give some more without ever being replenished. This can lead to burnout. I am not talking about that extreme. I am urging all of us to find small ways we can give our life away. Just like big doors swing on tiny hinges, tiny acts of kindness can add up to make a big big difference. Go ahead. Give your life away in healthy but meaningful doses.