Monday, 15th September, 2025

Alex Buabeng-Korsah

TOPIC: THE POWER OF SERVICE 

THEME SCRIPTURE:  "Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” — Matthew 20:28 (NLT)

PREPARATORY QUESTIONS:

1. Is there any benefit at all in serving others? 

 

There are moments when sorrow, anxiety, or exhaustion tempts us to withdraw— to turn inward, hoping that self-preservation will bring healing. Yet, Scripture and the life of Christ point us elsewhere: not toward self-focus, but self-giving.

Jesus did not shield Himself from suffering; He walked toward it, and through it, served others.

Nancy Guthrie, facing the heartbreaking reality that her first Mother’s Day with her daughter would also be her last, chose not to isolate in grief. Instead, she served. She extended compassion to others in similar pain by sending cards to all mothers whose children are in the hospital, offering words of affirmation. Her pain didn’t vanish, but her act of giving transformed it.

The early church understood this paradox. St. Augustine wrote, “In loving others, we are made whole.” And Gregory the Great noted, “The weight of compassion lifts the burden of suffering.” When we serve from our own place of hurt, we engage in a divine exchange— giving comfort, and mysteriously, receiving it.

This is not a denial of grief. It’s a holy reorientation. Pain doesn’t disqualify us from service; it often deepens it.

 In God’s economy, even our suffering is not wasted. You may feel too weary or too broken to serve—but remember,  it is often in pouring ourselves out that Christ fills us. Take courage. To serve in the midst of sorrow is not weakness—it is resurrection strength. Christ calls not the unbroken, but the willing. And when we serve others, we often find ourselves healed in the process.

Remain blessed.

 

FURTHER READING: Matthew 20

Call to Salvation: Today is your day if you have not received salvation by turning over your life to Jesus Christ. Click here to do so.

QUESTIONS ON THE WORD

1. Where am I tempted to withdraw into self-concern rather than serve?

2. Who in my life is hurting right now, and how might I offer a word, a gesture, or a prayer?

3. What pain in my life might God be asking me to minister through, not just from?

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, You did not come to be served, but to serve—and in doing so, You gave Your life for many. Forgive me when I let my pain turn me inward and blind me to the needs of others. Teach me, even in suffering, to look outward in love. Let my wounds become wells of compassion. Fill me with Your strength to serve boldly and love courageously. In Jesus' precious name. Amen

One-Year Bible Reading Plan.

Psalm 96; Revelation 15; 2 Chronicles 35