THIS IS AN EDITED EXCERPT FROM MY BOOK COMING OUT THIS SUMMER TENTATIVELY CALLED, I WANT TO SERVE: SERVING LIKE CHRIST ISN'T AS HARD AS YOU THINK
I tend to be someone who responds and reacts. Every now and then I am able to anticipate and it is interesting to see the difference in reaction.
For example, often when I am practicing anticipating needs, it has to do with my wife. I could go and get a glass of water for Katie because she has asked me to. And if I do, she is thankful. She appreciates it. However, there are times when I realize that she has been cleaning or spent a long time with my daughter and I think, “Katie’s probably thirsty.” I bring her a cup of water and she’s typically delightfully surprised, saying something like, “Oh thank you, I really needed that” or “Awww, thanks so much for thinking of me, that’s really nice!”
The action is usually more appreciated because it requires understanding the person’s situation or condition. Anticipating is a sign of having an intimate understanding of how someone functions, proof that you have invested time in them.
It isn’t that different when it comes to serving or discipling others. Anticipating their needs demonstrates your effort and heart for them to grow. Likewise, it also offers a boost to their perception of who you ultimately serve. It is an image bearer fulfilling his purpose. When people recognize that you are acting out of a love and service for your heavenly Father, they gain a greater appreciation for who God is.
Jesus anticipated people’s needs on several occasions as a direct representative of His Father. Perhaps one of the more memorable instances of Jesus’ ability to anticipate what people needed is in the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10:
“He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Jesus didn’t have to be told that the man straining to catch a glimpse of Him had a need. He recognized immediately (regardless if it was because he saw Zacchaeus’ efforts or because He’s simply God), the need that this man had. Despite Zacchaeus’ profitable job and social standing, he needed something else. He needed the forgiveness of his sins. Jesus anticipated this need (as He did for all mankind) and initiated a relationship with him. Jesus knew Zacchaeus and invited himself into his life to completely transform his heart that day.
Now we don’t have the all knowing power of Christ to help us in this aspect of serving mindfulness. However, we have two things that Jesus had to help us anticipate the spiritual needs of others:
1. We have the same knowledge that Jesus did.
Every person who has, is, and will live desperately needs the forgiveness of God. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Even if we are unsure of the exact needs of someone we are serving, we can be confident that they need a better relationship with God.
We don’t have to live in constant fear that we might have picked the wrong study book, or that we should have read Colossians together instead of Acts, or should be talking about the importance of patience instead of how to have joy. All of those things are important. The opportunity to serve and disciple others is about maturing in the faith together. Acting on the conviction to serve and disciple (even if it isn’t the most effective) is more important than the specific subject to focus on. Everyone could use growth in every aspect of faith. Also, we learn from our mistakes as leaders. As we mature and understand more about the person, we get a better handle on how to start and how to pinpoint the areas of growth people have.
It doesn’t mean that we have to blindly “spin the wheel” on spiritual topics. We still observe and pray about what aspect of faith to focus on with a specific person. This truth is a reminder that you can fight the paralysis of inaction or self-doubt. If you spend the time studying and acting on God’s truth, you will reap the rewards of the harvest.
2. We have the guidance of the Holy Spirit to help us anticipate the needs of others.
As I mentioned previously, the Spirit guides and convicts of us of opportunities to pursue. We need to learn how to listen to His voice speaking to us and respond. I don’t know if you’ve ever felt that tugging at your heart to engage with someone, whether because you see someone struggling or you recognize loneliness or it’s just a gut feeling. It is very possible that is the Spirit leading you straight into an opportunity to love someone else as Christ loved us! It is the same Spirit that Jesus was filled with to pursue His ministry (Matthew 3:16, 12:18; Luke 4:1, 14; Acts 10:38). Listen to the Spirit and then respond!
Ultimately, our call is to be an imitator of the God we serve by anticipating the spiritual needs of others. Just as Jesus represented His Father in heaven by anticipating Zacchaeus' needs, we should follow Christ's example.
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