MAY 17, 2025 ~ FROM A PASTOR'S HEART

MAY 17 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: MATTHEW 25:31-46

Salvation is a wonderful gift from God, but we have missed something if we think that our salvation was meant only for us. We were saved to minister into the lives of other people. Salvation turned inward can leave us empty, dissatisfied, and incomplete. We can never have the attitude that we have our ticket to heaven and that is all we need. It works like love works...it only grows as you give it away. Our salvation blossoms in the field of ministry and service. It is there that it becomes what the Lord intended it to be. There are far too many saints who are sitting and souring, they got theirs and that's good enough for them. Yet, it is never good enough when our salvation is only about ourselves. If we want to experience the fullness of our life in Christ we must get up, reach out, minister and serve in His Name!

Jesus gave us the great example of this heart for others. He had everything; all of Heaven worshiped and adored Him. Yet He left it all in order to come to this earth, to reach out and minister, to serve, and to ultimately give His life for us. He demonstrated His heart in reaching out to us. If we have the heart of the Savior, if we are truly His followers, we too will reach out to others. Jesus tells us that if we have done ministry "...to the least of these..." we have done it to Him (Matthew 25:40). Our salvation compels us to love, to serve, and to minister. Christ has changed us, and He intends to use His changed people to touch the world with His message and His ministry. One of the greatest ways to get out of a spiritual funk is to do something for someone else in Jesus’ Name. Blessing and ministering to others is what we followers of Jesus are called to do!

Please share your thoughts.