Have you ever felt limited in what you can do? These reasons could be from the season you are in, what you feel your strengths are, your abilities, maybe your physical location.
I have a notebook of things I would love to do with others. Fun friend activities, lunch dates, field trips with my kids, gifts to make. But I’m limited. I’m a stay at home homeschooling mom and pastor’s wife. I have limited financial resources to spend on crafts and decor and gifts. I have limited energy and some days, I need to use all my energy on less than glamorous tasks{read laundry and cleaning bathrooms}.
What I’ve discovered in life is that everyone has limits. And they usually are not the same. But limits shouldn’t limit us. Confused? I’ll explain.
For a long time, I viewed my limits on a strictly selfish level. An “I can’t do what I want to minister to that person so I guess I can’t do anything” kind of selfish attitude. I also just looked at how I would want someone to minister to me. “I enjoy getting handwritten notes so that’s the only way I can show others I care”. Again, not a bad idea but self centered.
When we view our limits in these terms, it’s no wonder we get discouraged and give up on ministry in any way. Instead, we should ask God to show us how to serve in spite of our limits. If you can’t afford a babysitter once a week to go out to lunch with friends, maybe have your friends into your home instead of going out. If you don’t have time to send handwritten notes in the mail, shoot a text to let your friend know you are praying for her. If you don’t have time to prepare a meal for a new mom, grab a pizza and a bag of premade salad to drop off.
Sometimes serving others involves creativity and stepping out of our comfort zone. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t value or enjoyment in finding those limitations and reaching over them. We read in I Corinthians 12:4-20 that we are all part of the same body in Christ but we do not all serve the same function. The text asks us to think of a literal body. We are not made up of just ears with no ability to speak. We must perform different functions for the Christian body to work and love in unity.
How does that play out in matters of service? We are not expected or encouraged to do exactly what someone else is doing. God gave us specific talents and interests to use for Him. We do Him and the Christians around us a disservice when we limit ourselves to only serving how we think service should look. Sometimes serving another means listening and offering biblical counsel. Others might approach that same friend and meet a more physical need like providing a meal or babysitting. They all meet a need, just in different ways. I know of several ladies who use their love of shopping to bless others and give needed items to our church and families.
As we strive to help others, remember to avoid limiting your ability to serve based on what you observe others doing. Be creative! Look for ways to use your talents and interests to serve and be a blessing to others.
Photo by aliis sinisalu on Unsplash