Today I Choose to Look for Needs...

Today I choose to look for needs. It's not enough to help when a need falls into my lap, I have to look for the needs of others and help meet them..
God has really been challenging me to choose an active faith, to be intentional, choose to react in a way that would honor him and to actively seek out ways that I can be a servant. I want to be aware of the ways that I can meet the needs of others and that means that I have to look outside of myself and become less selfish. Matthew 23:11-12 says, "The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself with be exalted." Jesus Christ came to serve, not to be served. He was the ultimate example of what it means to serve others and we should emulate that in our lives.
I think that we have to get to a place in our lives where we truly desire to love others, to share God's love and where the things of this world just don't matter anymore. We place such a high value on things, on being successful and on earthly gains. I am all for being productive, setting goals and achieving them, and working hard but it is when those things become our driving force in life that I think we loose sight of our purpose...the purpose of making God known! We have to find a balance in life and make sure that we are living in a way that is different from the rest of the world. Luke 6:32-33 says, "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that." We should be the ones that stand out, who look for needs and are willing to help without expecting anything in return.
When we have an eternal mindset we begin to see all that we have on earth as blessings from God and things that he can use to bless others. Romans 12:13 tells us to "Share with God's people in need. Practice hospitality." We need to take what we have been blessed with and bless others!
1 John 3:16-18 was a great challenge to me today. "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongues but with actions and in truth." Do our actions match our words? We may never be asked to give up our lives for someone, but we might be asked to put our day on hold to help someone or put our own desires aside and put someone else before ourselves. We need to live out what say we believe each day!
So today I choose to look for needs and to actively help meet those needs.