Serving is Never Out of Season

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love”

Galatians 5:13 ESV

When summer begins, I feel a surge of self-indulgence rise up inside me.

I think of what I get:

• Vacation
• Warmth
• Family
• Friends
• Travel

I don’t often think of how I can serve.

This has often turned summers into seasons where I lose a lot of joy.

I sink into forgetfulness about God and the richness that he offers in Christ.

Primarily, that’s because I lose sight of service.

I’ll serve when others are serving.

I’ll serve when others are cold and hungry.

But when it’s summer and it’s my moment of opportunity to indulge?

I lose sight of others and presume that if God gets nine months of faithful service, the summer is for me.

But God calls us to faithfully serve others in all seasons.

The Apostle Paul instructs Timothy: “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Tim. 4:2).

Timothy was gifted in preaching, teaching, reproving, rebuking, and exhorting.

This should prompt each of us to ask: “What is my calling?”

Then, we will each have our charge before us:

• Be ready in and out of season to __________
• Be ready in and out of season to offer your truck to help the family at church move their mother into a nursing home
• Be ready in and out of season to stack chairs at your new church where you don’t know anybody
• Be ready in and out of season to give to a church’s mission instead of adding luxuries to an already expensive vacation
• Be ready in and out of season to volunteer at your church

Be ready in and out of season to use God’s gift for the spread of his glory and the wellbeing of his church.

Be ready this summer season not simply to ask what you’ll get, but what you’ll give.

Today’s devotion by Dr. Paul Maxwell, a published theologian who serves as the Content Strategist at Tithe.ly. He lives in Indianapolis with his beautiful wife and rowdy wheaten terrier. You can connect with him on twitter at @paulcmaxwell.