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A Reward Is Being Offered
See 1 Corinthians 13 (The Message).
“If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, ‘Jump,’ and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.
“Love never gives up.
“Love cares more for others than for self.
“Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
“Love doesn’t strut,
“Doesn’t have a swelled head,
“Doesn’t force itself on others,
“Isn’t always ‘me first,’
“Doesn’t fly off the handle,
“Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
“Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
“Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
“Puts up with anything, “Trusts God always,
“Always looks for the best,
“Never looks back,
“But keeps going to the end.
“Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.
“When I was an infant at my mother’s breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.
“We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
“But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.”
A Reward is Being Offered
When Florence Nightingale and her nurses showed up in the British war hospitals at Scutari, on the Crimean front, conditions were worse than they had heard. They witnessed filth, infection, disorganization, and an overwhelming caseload. Shiploads of desperately needed medical supplies sat in the harbor while men died, because some officials had not filled out the proper forms. In this environment 42 percent of the wounded never recovered. It took all of Nightingale’s training and dedication, and then some, to turn things around.
Nightingale was born in Florence, Italy (hence her first name), in 1820 to a wealthy English family. She traveled and attended parties with the “chosen of society” on the family estate in Derbyshire. When she was 16 she received a divine call: “On Feb. 7th, 1837,” she wrote, “God spoke to me and called me into
The call was as mysterious as it was audible—what service? Seven years of uncertainty followed. Over family objections, she began “cottage visiting”—taking food and medicine to poor farmers who lived on the family’s lands. Then she began to think about nursing; her family was scandalized. In the early 1800’s nurses were considered unskilled laborers and were reputedly drunken and promiscuous. Proper ladies kept a fine house, gave parties, and made brilliant conversation.
In 1844 American philanthropists Samuel and Julia Ward Howe (the author of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”) visited the Nightingale home. Florence asked them, “Do you think it would be unsuitable and unbecoming for a young Englishwoman to devote herself to works of charity in hospitals?”
Dr. Howe replied, “It would be unusual, and in England whatever is unusual is thought to be unsuitable. But I say to you, ‘Go forward.’ ”
After that, she later wrote, “There never was any vagueness in my plans or ideas as to what God’s work was for me.”
That work did not begin for another nine years. Family objections had to be overcome. Meanwhile she studied nursing, first in books, then by visiting European hospitals, and finally by training at hospitals in Germany, England, and France. She was serving as director of a home for “invalid gentlewomen” when the Crimean War (1854-1856) broke out.
When she heard about the deplorable conditions on the front, Nightingale took 38 nurses to see what they could do. She ended up organizing the barracks hospital, including a kitchen, laundry, and clean latrines. She opened windows to let in fresh air and provided supplies by cutting administrative red tape or buying them herself. She provided reading and recreation rooms for the patients, wrote home to their loved ones, and provided a safe way to mail their pay home. The soldiers adored her and christened her the “Lady of the Lamp,” after the Turkish lantern she carried on her midnight rounds.
Her efforts brought remarkable results: the death rate dropped from 42 percent to less than 3 percent. (Adapted from Kelvin D Crow, Christianity Today Library.com)
See Steps to Christ, pp. 96,97
- Highlight the paragraph that starts, “Another element of prevailing prayer…”
- Highlight the paragraph that starts, “If we take counsel with our doubts. . .”
- Underline the sentence that starts, “ We may have no remarkable . . .”
See also John 13:35 (NIV), Galatians 6:2, 1 John 3:16-18 (NIV), 1 Peter 4:7-11.
Here’s What I Think
Mandy rededicated her life to Jesus last weekend and asked God to help her see the needs of others so she could help. The first person she thought of was Tanya, who had been on the receiving end of some unkind words from Mandy. There was obviously a wedge between the two, and they tried to avoid each other. This is a problem now that Mandy has a new commitment to God.
What do you think Mandy should do or say? Should she confront Tanya and make things right with her or wait and do something else, giving herself time to get ready for an appointment with Tanya later? What do you think Jesus would say to her?
Log onto www.guidemagazine.org/rtf to post your response. Be up-front and honest. Say what you think. You may use the lines below as an alternative to posting, or you may record your thoughts to share with your class later.
Complete the puzzle using the clues shown below. Some people in the puzzle are Bible characters; some are modern-day “heroes.” Some names will depict a group of people or type of vocation that serves others.
Across
3. A nurse born in Italy.
4. Called by God to love one another.
8. They are offered a reward if they will answer God's call to serve others.
10. Called by God to love, nurture, raise a child and care for the needs of the families.
12. I made clothes for people. I was known for the beautiful purple cloth I could make.
13. I gave back four times more than I had stolen from people to follow Christ.
15. Founded the Red Cross.
16. Died to save mankind.
18. I gave up my fishing boat to teach others about God.
19. Was severely wounded in battle to save others.
Down
1. I was a nun; I won the Nobel peace prize for my work. I loved working in India.
2. We are responsible for helping people know God.
5. We help heal people.
6. She risked her life people (she is a Bible character).
7. We are sometimes called to go out and preach God's Word to strangers in other countries.
9. Risked her freedom to free others.
11. Called by God to love, nurture, and raise at least one child and care for the
needs of families.
14. We heal people’s wounds.
17. We help people learn.
See Hebrews 13:1-3 (NIV), Philippians 2:5-11(NIV), James 2:15-17 (NIV), Leviticus 25:35 (NIV)
So What?
The exercise of service is nonnegotiable for those who take the name of Christ. Jesus makes it clear that as His children, we wear His colors. The Bible mentions this frequently. As one song says, I can’t hear your words because your actions are speaking too loud. Whether we do good deeds of grace or ignore the needs of others, our actions will speak louder than anything we might say.
We might be right about Sabbath being Saturday. But if on our Sabbath a broken person like the woman mentioned in Luke never experiences grace for her broken spirit, then our Sabbath is useless. We may preach the truth that Jesus is coming again, but He tells us that when He does come, we will be caught in the act of feeding the homeless and visiting the lonely and caring for the broken. We may be able to prove from the Bible that death is a sleep, but those who experience the loss of a loved one rarely sleep well because of the gnawing loneliness.
What can we as Seventh-day Adventists do? Our service to others will announce more truth than we can in a million seminars. Our message is so important, but if it does not make us more like the Servant, Jesus, then we’d better spend more time with the Servant.
- How can we truly love others?
- Is loving others just a feeling? Please explain.
- What does it mean to “serve others”?
- What does it mean to “love others”?
- Why is serving so important to our Christian life?
- Are the terms “serve others” and “love others” equal? Explain.
- Why is it as important to serve other as it is to be “right” about our beliefs?
Matching
Match the text with the phrase. You will probably need to read the entire text to find the answer. Most phrases are not taken from the beginning of the text.
If you don’t have an NIV Bible you may find one online by going to www.realtimefaith.adventist.org, click on the “resources” link and then the Bible Gateway link.
Choose one of the texts from today’s activity to memorize.
- “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
- “A generous man will prosper. . .”
- And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
- “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
- “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave . . .”
- “If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”
All texts are from the NIV Bible.
- Matthew 7:9-12 _______
- Matthew 23:11,12 ________
- Matthew 20:25-28 ________
- 1 Peter 4:7-11 ________
- Proverbs 11:25 ______
- Matthew 25:31-36 _______
See Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 82.
- Highlight the sentence that begins, “Acts of kindness performed in secret will bind hearts together. . .”
- Highlight the sentence that begins, “The little attentions, the small acts of love. . .”
What Does This Have To Do With Me?
Your call to serve others is a gift from God to you. A gift? Every time we put others first and spend ourselves to give some grace to someone else, it reminds us of the way God reaches out to us. The work of service is one of God’s great activities for shrinking our sinful nature and growing our kingdom qualities.
If you think this is a spiritual muscle you can develop overnight, think again. Remember, the disciples walked with Jesus for three years and were still arguing about who was going to be the best—on the very night he was arrested. Learning to think of others is a journey. It is born from your love for God and your desire to help others. Little by little, as you practice service, it changes you.
If you feel selfish at times, remember that even your most selfish moments are covered by Christ’s kindness to you. His plan is to teach you about grace day by day. Jesus doesn’t use guilt to motivate you to service. Practice service and leave the growing part to God.
- Do we have to do great things such as give our life in battle, begin a society like the Red Cross, become world renowned for some act of kindness or bravery to properly serve others for God?
- What makes service an act of love?
- How can service teach us about God’s grace?
- What is God’s grace?
- How can God’s grace cover any selfishness that may be in our motive when we attempt to serve others?
See Hebrews 13:1-3 (Amplified Bible)
“Let love for your fellow believers continue and be a fixed practice with you [never let it fail].
“Do not forget or neglect or refuse to extend hospitality to strangers [in the brotherhood--being friendly, cordial, and gracious, sharing the comforts of your home and doing your part generously], for through it some have entertained angels without knowing it.
“Remember those who are in prison as if you were their fellow prisoner, and those who are ill-treated, since you also are liable to bodily sufferings.”
See Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 83.
- Highlight the paragraph that starts, “The deeds of kindness may have been done in secret. . .”
- Highlight the sentence that begins, “Those who have sought for the development . . .”
How Does It Work?
Think about some practical ways you can help and serve others around you. Use the questions below to guide you in writing a journal entry about your plan for service.
- What needs can you fill?
- What gift from you would show God’s grace to someone, or in a situation?
- List practical things you can do to help someone.
- What did you decide to do, and how did it help?.