Text: Mark 3.31-35
Jesus initiated the concept of “spiritual family.” When we accept Christ as our Savior and are born again, we’re born into a new family. With God as our Father, we now look to one another as brothers and sisters. And, just as there is priority in caring for our biological family, there are responsibilities of caring for our spiritual family. It’s in this family we begin to practice “everybody looking out for somebody.”
A rule of thumb to direct our acts of service to our spiritual family is: think small and think close. We tend to look for great selfless acts that have incredible impact. The problem with these “big” acts of service is they just don’t happen very often. But by engaging in small, regular acts of service, we can have a powerful impact in someone’s life.
Our acts of service should also be close. Going on a short-term mission trip and serving a meal at a homeless shelter are great, but these opportunities tend to be impersonal. It’s easy to go in, perform a task, and leave without ever making a real connection. In contrast, caring for the needs of someone in your small group is very personal and close to home.
Today, revisit the One Big Question we’ve camped on throughout this series . . . Who are you looking out for? Looking intently at those Jesus followers you are sharing life with, be sure to think small and think close. Don’t overlook the needs of someone right in front of you in place of an exciting, new opportunity elsewhere. Once you’ve identified what needs to be done, make it happen today!
