I recently went to Cairo, Egypt. What a captivating city, rich with history and culture. The Egyptians are a proud people with a fascinating culture. While waiting in a car adjacent to a very busy street, I noticed an older man. He was in the middle of traffic sweeping the dirt from the highway into a plastic bag and then dangerously walking through the maze of vehicles to throw the debris off to the side. Then, he turned around to do the same thing over and over again. My first thought was, “what an exercise on futility.” Then, it dawned on me. He had a purpose and a goal and he was diligently fulfilling that objective.
Rick Warren published the “Purpose Driven Life” in 2002. Among the quotes that helped shape my life was this one, “The only really happy people are those who have learned how to serve.” That was true of the man I watched in Egypt and it’s also true of you and me. Galatians 5:13 says “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” We are not saved by serving, but we are saved for serving.
So here’s the question for you to chew on. “Who can you serve today?”