Who are we really serving?

So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed. Acts 16:40

Paul and Silas had been through a harrowing few days. Arrested, soundly beaten, and then abruptly let go! Although they had a “civil rights case” on their hands, they opted to let it go, departing quietly. When they were reunited with the local believers, instead of focusing on what they had been through, Paul and Silas gave themselves to encouraging the folks in the local church.

Does anyone else but me feel a twinge of conviction from that? I hate to admit it, but I would probably have wanted the brethren to encourage me! There is a great lesson to be learned from this. Perhaps the most profitable thing we can do when we need encouragement is to step out of ourselves and seek to encourage others. Why? Because disciples of Christ understand that the best way to have our needs met is by seeking to meet the needs of others!

That said, if we are seeking to meet others’ needs in order that we may feel better, or to feel good about ourselves, we may be disappointed! Why? If we are serving others with selfish motives, who are we really serving? Oh sure, others may benefit, but we may not!