Tuesday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s Gospel, Jesus provides the apostles with an instruction that I often need to be reminded of – serve God and never allow yourself to feel as if God owes you something in return. As someone whose profession is ministry I often find myself pleading with God, “I have given so much” or “I am on my last thread” can I not get just some time to rest and recharge?
I’m a firm believer that I must take care of myself in order to take care of others, but sometimes my faith calls me to give just a little bit more than I think I am able – acknowledging that there is nothing that God and I can’t handle together. It’s those moments that I need reminders like the one we find in the Gospel of Luke – God has called me to be a servant and I must continue to give no matter what the price without expecting a reward.
Perhaps that same mentality exists when we are serving others as well, we must continue to use our gifts and talents to serve others in every way we are called without treating them as if they are in debt to us. A well rooted sense of our own gifts and talents allows us to serve others even when it may not be in response to their immediate need – perhaps I can’t bring physical healing to someone who is injured, but I can bring a meal over to their house and spend some quality time with them; or I might not be able to soothe a friend’s crying baby, but I can fold their laundry so they have more time to put the baby to bed.
How might you be called to serve God and others more fully? Are you guilty of treating God or others as if they are in debt to you? How might you embrace your gifts to respond to someone else’s need, whether they are serving you or not?
And if you need a bit more of a jumpstart – perhaps checking out today’s first reading from Titus might shed some light on some character traits to reflect on so that you might embrace a sense of servanthood and model that for others as Christ calls us to.
- Mike Bennett