by Desiree Bustamante

We are called to love and serve our community.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:45

Circuit boards remind me of a community. The circuitry allows communication and works with all the crucial electronic components to make a computer work. For a community to work, it must be connected to its neighbors, businesses, schools and officials. Good communication is mandatory for it to run smoothly. Everyone must unite to accomplish goals.

The Christian community is no exception. We work in harmony to provide for neighbors in need, solve problems and strive to improve our communities.

But one component stands out above all others. We serve others because we are a community of believers in Christ who desire to glorify Him through our service. We work together, encouraging each other while providing for mankind’s needs, showing unbelievers the way to Christ. We communicate with Christ through prayer and His Word to discern our unique roles and submit to each other in love.

Sadly, when we pursue this objective, Satan moves in to break apart our unity and destroy our Christian family. We may argue over who has the best ideas, who should be in leadership or who holds earthly beliefs that do not match ours. We can’t communicate with each other well when pride or anger fills our hearts and clouds our minds.

Scripture challenges us to keep our mind focused on things above—Christ and His kingdom—and to love and respect our fellow believers. No matter what disagreements or common pursuits you may have, remember that you and your entire community are children of God, whom He loves deeply. Love and serve each other with your whole heart focused on Christ.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado