Helping Others Helps You

Thursday - May 6th

Scripture to Read Today: Proverbs 11:24-28

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Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

Proverbs 11:25

Proverbs 11:25 provides an excellent life axiom. It is one I learned in my freshman year of Bible college. One of the distinctions of a Bible college is that every student must engage in a Christian Service ministry each semester. The reasoning behind it says that those studying the Bible for ministry should be involved in practical ministry. The Christian Service Director at the school assigned me to a Nursing Home Ministry Team.

My Nursing Home Ministry Team visited Heartland Nursing home every Thursday afternoon. We spent about thirty minutes visiting residents and inviting them to a worship service we hosted in the nursing home's common room. In the thirty minute service, students led the worship time, and one of us delivered a brief message of hope for the residents who joined us. We then stayed another hour, spending time with those who attended the service.

Each Thursday, I had a thousand things to do as a freshman settling into the rhythms of college life. I generally had many reasons why I could not spend the three hours it took to get to the nursing home, serve the folks there, and drive back to campus. As a young eighteen-year-old, I sadly even thought our ministry to those elderly folks did not matter much or make much of a difference in anyone's lives. Some of them could not even remember us from week to week. But, each week, I went.

Each week I went and served. I enjoyed it while there. But, I always had a list of reasons in my head as to why it was not worth the time and hassle. I was a busy student, after all.

But each week, after being at Heartland with those dear elderly folks, worshiping with them, I returned to my dorm room refreshed and renewed. By the second semester, I understood the axiom of Proverbs 11:25, "Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed." I set out each week to bring hope and encouragement to the residents of Heartland Nursing Home. Each week I left with hope and encouragement. Visiting that place and those people refreshed me because I arrived to refresh those who lived there.

Maybe you think you have too much to do to help others. Perhaps serving others is not a priority for you. If so, you are missing out on something so special. You are missing out on a unique way to find joy and hope. Serving others is good for us - and for those we serve!

Helping others helps you!

We are refreshed when we seek to refresh others! God wants us to serve others, and as we do, He blesses us!