Epaphras served because he understood Jesus loves us because of what Jesus did—not because of what we do. Jesus’ love motivates Epaphras to serve Jesus by working hard with “great zeal.” This took the form of pastoring 3 churches requiring walks up to 13 miles (about a 4-hour walk). This service was most likely in addition to other work to pay the bills. He walked for them because he had a passion for their spiritual growth.
Just like Epaphras, when we serve it costs us something. Too often, we’re selfish when we serve. We do it looking for an immediate payback. Sometimes we do get payback and feel satisfied. Sometimes we don’t.
We don’t give to get something back—we give because Christ gave. When we start walking for someone we don’t know where it will end. There isn’t always Chick-Fil-A at the end of the road. (See the sermon for Pastor Bob King’s story about that.)
This weekend, we were asked,“Who are you walking for?” Take a moment to answer that question. Now that you have identified someone you are walking for, identify a next step in that walk. Consider what you can do to serve them and invest in their spiritual growth.
