Ephesians 6:7
“Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.”
As I sit in my home office, laptop in front of me and files at my feet, I can’t help but wonder for what reason I have been so blessed. My position working at St. Andrew’s was a gift at the right time in my life and was very unexpected. After months of holding a temporary position, I was offered a full-time, permanent role, where I now work for two of the kindest people I have ever met. Not to mention the wonderful, hardworking team I get to work beside every day.
Most importantly, my job is Christ-centered. I get to write devotions for you every week. I am given the opportunity to work with kids and teens. I get to participate in prayerful meetings and work with my team to develop a deeper relationship with Jesus. Before working for St. Andrew’s, these were all things that I never would have dreamt of doing for work. I never imagined I could love a job so much, or that I would wake up and enjoy going to work, ultimately sacrificing my sleep! For so long, I feared I would fall into a corporate, dead-end job that would leave me deeply unhappy. Yet here I am because God chose me to serve him in my work. I am so grateful for the opportunity He has given me to speak His word and share His teachings on a daily basis.
I get to serve Christ in my work, but prior to working with St. Andrew’s, I served elsewhere. I volunteered a lot of my time to my home church, teaching and uplifting teens to give them a better understanding of God’s love. In middle school, I served by assisting in elementary Sunday school classes. And as a child, I was taught that loving others was the best way to serve God.
Being a Christian is more than prayer, more than reading your Bible, and more than worship. How do you serve Christ outside of church? How are you serving others outside of youth group? Sometimes, we forget God created us for more than Sundays. We are more than donuts and youth group games and singing Christian music. We are meant for teaching others the beauty and love of God. We are meant to feed the hungry and give our time and energy to those in need. We are meant to keep God’s creation clean and respect it as we do Him.
While these seem like the general, big, unattainable ways to serve Christ as a teenager, when we break it down, it’s truly simple. Ask your friends how you can pray for them today and be kind to a stranger—maybe it’s just a smile through your mask! Go out of your way to help a friend, sacrifice a portion of your day to make their life easier. Pick up after yourself—whether that be in your room or outdoors, we want to give God’s creation the attention it deserves. When you meet with your small group this week, ask your friends how they’ve been serving God.