Bible Reading:
Romans 16
Key Verse: Verse 1 – “I commend unto
you Phebe our sister,
which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:”
Key
Words: I commend unto you
As you read Romans 16, you read a seemingly long list of names
that mean absolutely nothing to the casual reader; but you have to go beyond
the surface and look deeply into the lives of these thirty-six people and see
how Paul had invested his life in them, mentored them, prayed for them, watched
after them – and now here they are, all serving God because Paul had invested
his life in others. There is no greater joy than investing your life into
others for the glory of God.
In his autobiography, Breaking Barriers, syndicated columnist
Carl Rowan tells about a teacher who greatly influenced his life. Rowan relates: “Miss Thompson reached into
her desk drawer and pulled out a piece of paper containing a quote attributed
to Chicago
architect Daniel Burnham. I listened
intently as she read: ‘Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s
blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans, aim high in hope and
work. Remember that our sons and
grandsons are going to do things that would stagger us.’ More than thirty years later, I gave a speech
in which I said that Frances Thompson had given me a desperately needed belief
in myself. A newspaper printed the
story, and someone mailed the clipping to my beloved teacher. She wrote me: ‘For years, I endured my
brother’s arguments that I had wasted my life; that I should have married and
had a family. When I read that you gave
me credit for helping to launch a marvelous career, I put the clipping in front
of my brother. After he’d read it, I
said, ‘You see, I didn’t really waste my life, did I?’”
You never know who you are having an impact on;
so never quit; never give up; always invest your life in others for God’s
service.
What to do:
✞
List those who invested their
lives in you and send them a card
of appreciation.✞
Make a list of those
you want to invest your life in and
list how that can be done.
