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Musings and Memories

Live a life of service

Doug Dezotell
Posted 1/28/23

In one of my favorite Gospel accounts concerning the Kingdom of God, Jesus talked about the importance of ‘All of Us’ taking care of one another.

In the 25th chapter of the Gospel of …

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Musings and Memories

Live a life of service

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In one of my favorite Gospel accounts concerning the Kingdom of God, Jesus talked about the importance of ‘All of Us’ taking care of one another.

In the 25th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew we read these words:

“Then the King (that’s Jesus) will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’” (Matthew 25:34-40)

In this Gospel account Jesus says that helping those in need is the same as doing it unto Him.

We are called to serve the Lord and serve others.

Serving others is a part of our service to God.

My wife and I have spent all of our adult lives in service to others.

Lynn and I both have seen that as our calling.

Over the years I have served the Lord in a medical alcohol and drug rehabilitation center; in inner-city street ministry; in jail and prison ministry; in long-term, residential Christian discipleship programs for addiction recovery; and in pastoral ministry.

I also serve God and man in the writings of my “Musings and Memories” column for the Times-Gazette.

Before we married, Lynn served the Lord in a long-term, residential Christian discipleship program for women in addiction recovery; and in learning and implementing American Sign Language for ministry to the hearing impaired.

Since we have been married, Lynn has served the Lord and others in full-time ministry as a Registered Nurse, and in particular as a Labor and Delivery Nurse, helping in the delivery of hundreds of babies over the years.

And she has served in partnership with me in ministry for as long as we have been married.

Our most important ministry over the years has been to raise three children, and to assist in the raising of three granddaughters.

All of that has kept Lynn and me busy throughout the past, and with God’s strength and empowering we will continue to serve both Him and others as long as we live.

I believe that is what we are here for: to serve God and others.

When we look closely at the teachings of Jesus Christ we see that all of us are called to serve others, not just those of us who are in professional ministry or in caring professions such as the medical field.

God wants all of us to minister to His children, to help those in need however and whenever we can.

Jesus said, ‘Feed the hungry….Give drink to the thirsty….Welcome the stranger….Clothe the naked….Visit the sick and the prisoners.’

In His teachings He said, ‘Bless and do not curse.’

He said, ‘Love one another.’

He said, ‘Pray for one another.’

(If you are going to talk behind someone’s back, make sure you are talking to God, not others. That’s praying for one another.)

Don’t ruin your day by hating and despising someone, but with God’s help—Love One Another.

Don’t judge one another. Leave that up to the Ultimate Judge, the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are all sinners in need of a Savior.

His Name is Jesus.

And He has called us ALL to serve Him and others.

Let’s do it!