Mother Theresa once said, “I just want to be a pencil in the hands of a writing God who is sending His love letter to the world. I am not the author of the story, just the pencil God uses to write His perfect story.” That is what it means to follow Jesus. In its most basic form, following Jesus is doing what Jesus did. Jesus was the pencil through which God wrote His love letter to the world. Jesus showed others the heart of the Father. It was a heart that was kind, compassionate, mercy-filled, and hope-filled. He revealed that heart by loving and serving others. Jesus lived to serve.
What do you live to do? I know people who live to eat, to shop, to work, to play, to make money for the weekend. Jesus lived to serve others. Serving is living. The abundant life is not about having stuff. It is not about awards, accomplishments, status, or winning. It is all about loving God, serving God, obeying God, and then loving and serving others.
Servants are the pencils in the hands of a writing God, whose spirit flows through them to write God’s love letter to the world. Be the pencil today.
-Dr. Tim Thompson