Doing without knowing

In our journey of faith, as we come across different types of people, we feel like making friends with some, people we like to help, give out love to and serve them. But sometimes we come across people who we do not wish to associate with, we do not wish to meet, we do not wish to serve or help.

Normally, we want to be good to our friends or family, people we know well. Why? Because we know that these are the people we will keep meeting again and again and these people may be of use or help to us when we turn to them in times of need. But we feel difficult when it comes to doing good to complete strangers. Why? Because deep inside our hearts, perhaps we feel or know that we will never again come across them and they will never be of any help to us. In other words, when we do good to others, when we do good to people, we often make 'value judgments' and decide whether or not to help a person based on whether or not he is of any 'use' to me. Actually when we think like this, it means that we seek recognition from others, we seek 'reward.'

But if we look at the Bible, we find Jesus teaching us to help and serve complete strangers, help those and serve those who will perhaps never ever be able to give anything back in return. And as Jesus preached, He lived – serving and healing people, asking for nothing in return.

Some of us may think twice before serving a complete stranger but if we live the way Jesus lived, we will lead an even better and more fruitful life. Why? Because there is a hidden 'reward' behind serving complete strangers.

In the Bible there are many stories where the people of faith served complete strangers without expecting any 'reward' in return. And, as they did so, they were 'rewarded' by God. Two such people are Abraham and Rebekah. Abraham, who was childless, was blessed with a child from God as he served complete strangers and attended to them. Rebekah, who was diligent and had a serving heart, by serving Abraham's servant, a complete stranger, and tending to the camels, became the chosen one to be betrothed to Isaac. And, amazingly, the camels she tended to, carried her across the vast expanse of the desert to her Isaac.

When we serve people without expecting anything in return, God rewards us in His own mysterious ways. God uses even complete strangers to bestow on us His blessings. Complete strangers may turn out to be messengers or angels of God (Hebrews 13:2). When we serve people, God does not look at the outside, he looks deep in our hearts. And, he can see whether we really have a serving heart without expecting anything in return or whether we serve others desiring to be served or rewarded in return.

Unless we have a habit of serving others in normal time, we can never serve others in important times. Serving is a habit we have to develop. It does not happen in one day. One who is not used to serving, will find it difficult to serve even at the most important time. And, the person may lose out on serving angels.

Like Abraham, like Rebekah, like Jesus, we should have a serving heart. Serving without expecting anything in return. Doing without knowing whether we will be 'rewarded' in return. We should be the Church that reveals the image of God – the image of serving, loving and embracing. We should be the Church through which God can reveal His true character, nature and purpose.

As children of God, we have to seize the opportunity of being used greatly by God and reveal His mercy, love and grace.

Remember – serve without expecting, do without knowing. For who knows, what rewards God has in mind for you?

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" (Matthew 25:40)