A friend (Erin) recently asked a similar question and I thought it would be interesting to post it here to see what answers we can come up with...
Can you think of practical ways we can be Jesus in the world? It would be neat and helpful to all of us to see how many different ideas we can come up with...and then use them in our lives.
Please feel free to share ways people have served you and ways you have been served by others and even ideas that you haven't tried...
11-10-07 Edited to add:
A friend (Chelley) mentioned in her response that we can't be Jesus to others but we are to see others as Jesus and serve them as if they are Jesus. I agree with her statement and would change my initial question to - How can we serve Jesus by serving others? or How have you been served by a Christian? Or How have you served others in Jesus name?
20 comments:
I think the best way we can be Jesus to someone is to listen to them.
Jesus was an incredible observer of people.
In today's world we often are more interested in getting to our next destination ignoring those around us.
I think in the world today we are confused by its standards regarding love. A temporary, condtional, based on emotion kind of love. To reflect Christ's love to others invoves self sacrifice. Loving the unloveable. It is hard. It requires going the extra mile. Stepping out of our comfort zone. It is something that I am asmhamed to admit is hard for me to do. I can't do it on my own. It requires God's grace and strengtjh to do it. So I guess for me to show Christ's love to others is to truly surrender myself to Him and be His vessel.
How can we be Jesus .. have compassion for others around us. And live each day with a positive mind set and help others when the opportunity arrises
Wen
I don't think it is as hard as we really make it.
Jesus pretty much TOLD us HOW to be Jesus to the world....and it comes down to one person at a time.
Offering a cold drink to the repairman who is doing hard work for me, making a meal for the freezer for someone sick or who just had a baby, organizing a baby shower for an unwed mother, keeping food coupons in the van to give out to homeless people who are begging on the street instead of ignoring them...
He said "whatever you do to the least of these you do to Me....."
so no matter how little or how much we do...if we see people as Jesus...we can and will be Jesus to them.
1. Bake brownies or cookies for your neighbor.
2. Visit a nursing home for a game of dominoes or just a friendly chat.
3. Sweep someone’s sidewalk, and put a card on their door saying, "Someone who loves Jesus and loves you swept your sidewalk today!"
4. Go on a short term mission trip
5. Volunteer to tutor students at a neighborhood school.
6. Volunteer to serve a holiday dinner for the needy.
7. Be St. Nick – buy a gift for someone you know, and give it to them anonymously.
8. Distribute water bottles as a random act of kindness.
9. Buy a raincoat or an umbrella for the person selling the Chronicle on the street corner.
10. Create “Kindness Bags” – a large Ziploc with bottled water, a non-perishable, ready to eat food of some kind, and a pair of warm socks or a rain poncho (available at dollar stores).
11. Create a shoe box of goodies for Operation Christmas Child. Drop offs are this week!
12. In the drive thru line, offer to pay for the person behind you.
13. Send a card to US Troops overseas.
14. Bring dinner for someone who is ill or for a family with a new baby.
15. Take a walk through your neighborhood. Pray specifically for random houses along the way.
16. Help someone who needs your help.
Erin
Recently I was troubled concerning a traumatic happening in our family. My friend came to me and put her arms around me and cradled me as I prayed and she prayed with me. She was Jesus to me at that moment as she brought His touch and comfort to me.
I called a friend to let her know about a potential serious health problem for my child and she asked if I had a moment before hanging up and she prayed for me and my child before we left for medical treatment. She was Jesus to me!
Be unusually aware of where we are and that we are to look for opportunities to be His servant.
Last Thursday a good friend, retired, headed for Florida with his wife, excited about life, in an instant met Jesus! A head-on collision took his life. I have been emailing the reporter who wrote the story in a local paper in Georgia, sharing God's goodnenss with her.
Be eager to share God's love with all. Be eager to ask His and others forgiveness when you screw up. Seeking the forgivenss of others is something I don't do well. After all I am rarely at fault! :o)
Indian Lake Papa
Funny you should ask. I heard the Lord the other morning say something very similar to me. He said, "How are you going to show the people around you that you a Christian?" It seemed like a simple question. But as the Lord and I talked he pushed me deeper saying, “It isn't that you go to church. It isn't that you even gave your life to me. It isn't is just the kind things you do for others. It is how you react to situations in your life. To every situation. Your children’s complaining, your dislike of the drivers on the road, your daughters feelings, your husbands anger….” My pastor has often said, “you may be the only Jesus that the world ever sees…what are they seeing?” I don’t think I have taken it as serious as I should have until now. We are too busy. And have no time to stop and think before we open our mouths. We run on to do the next thing and in the process people get in our way…..do you suppose that God put them there? I am beginning to think so. Instead of people being an obstacle to us we should see them as an opportunity to show His grace or His love or His mercy. II Timothy 4:2 says, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” Do you suppose that is how Jesus did it? It sounds so easy, but why haven’t I done this until now? We think that Jesus is going to magically change us. I am convinced more now than ever that we have to choose to be like him or this flesh we wear will have first dibs on what comes out of our mouths. For too long I have allowed my flesh to rule me….it is time that my spirit gets first dibs! Thanks for letting me preach to myself. I needed it.
Blessings, Lisa
I was just searching for a quote for Sunday's bulletin and came across this (it doesn't fit with what we need, but I think it fits here).
"What do you have in your hand? Perhaps you, like Moses, feel that you have nothing with which you can serve God. But think about what your neighbours need. Maybe you can help them with whatever is in your hand. Maybe that is exactly what they need."
~ Dick Nieusma
I have to change my answer. I was busy at work the other day (one of the benefits of my job is that I have time to think on things...I am a church custodian) and it really HIT me.
We AREN'T supposes to BE Jesus to other people. WE CAN'T...
We are to look for Jesus in others.
Do we see Jesus in the unwashed homeless person? the whiny child (or adult)? The person who takes up all our time that we had planned to use for something else? Our spouse? Our children?
NO where in Scripture are we told to BE Jesus....
we are told that everything we do should be as unto Him. That the smallest things we do we are doing for Him and TO HIM.
Be Jesus to someone?
No.
Serve others as though they were Jesus....
YES.
Hi Chelley,
I like your answer - makes a lot of sense, but I think you understand the point of the question I asked was to get people thinking and to give us all ideas on how we can be what Jesus wants. And yes if we are being what Jesus wants we will definitely be serving others as HE did and if we are looking at others as Jesus instead of the person who just annoyed us some way then it would be easier to serve them. So excellent point!
How about being extra kind to those in the service industry when they make a mistake on your order or hand you back the incorrect change? I can't tell you how many Christian I know who are more rude than normal to some one who make a mistake on the hamburger order or gives them the wrong change. I even go out of my way to let the manager know that I appreciate all the hard work their employees do and mistakes are bound to happen. Do you know how thankful they are?! It's amazing! All they hear all day is angry people screaming at them for one thing or another.
Another thing I do is tip huge. Sometimes up to 50%. Even if the waitress is lousy, I tip extra and I guarantee the next time she sees me, I'm treated like a queen. It also opens up an opportunity for me to minister in a non threatening way to unbelievers. I had a waitress track me down while I was paying my bill and asked me why I had given such a big tip when she knew she was not very good that night and I was able to share with her that God loves her no matter what her condition is and He asked me to pass on a blessing to her. She began pouring out her heart about being backslidden and asked me if I would pray for her. It was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had!!!
Just a little something I've observed over the years as a Christian. Amost all the Christians I know don't even tip 10% let alone anything higher and watch out if their order is wrong or they receive the wrong change, or service isn't up to their holier than thou expectations. ..I guess you could call it my pet peave since I worked in the service industry and was treated with disdain by those who were supposed to love me...
Ok, I'll get off my soap box LOL!
Chelley,
I was reading your answer again and still agree :) I'm reading a book by Gary Thomas called "Sacred Influence" and he says some of what you said in your response but in regard to our husbands. So I think you are on target :)
LOVE...the God kind~1Corinthians 13 kind. Read the Amplified version..WOW.
Thanks MondaythroughSunday - you are so right! It is all about LOVE!
This is in response to Renee and how christians treat service industry folks.
On Sunday mornings I always give the girls at McDonalds a dollar tip when I get my coffee. At first I would get a puzzled look but would just say, "It's because you are working on Sunday." I don't know which they appreciated more, the dollar or the acknowledgement of the sacrifice they had to make.
And if I eat out at a restuarant on Sunday I double tip. Based on the scripture of letting him who serves well receive double honor. I think that should apply to those who minister to us on Sunday, whether from the pulpit or in the restuarant.
There have been some very good observations made in the answers received. Made from pure hearts.
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see GOD (in others, in times of difficulty, where other see nothing).
.....peace.....
Chelley - the final edit ended up being "How to be the hands and feet of Christ" - which we are called to be. "How to be Jesus" didn't sound quite right to me, either. You make the excellent point, though, that we are called to look at everyone as if they were Jesus. I read the book on Mother Teresa, Come Be My Light, and this was something that propelled her every move, along with her private vow to never refuse Christ anything.
Erin
Thanks Erin,
I agree too... Sorry I messed up the question it ended up being more what I meant in the end - after all, I'm still learning :)
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