Time Out: Weekly quiet times for the youth worker’s soul.
(by Adam Wormann)

Years ago I was on my way home from youth group. I took some back roads on the way home to my apartment. I named one road “The Bat Cave” because it reminded me of that old desolate road that let to the Bat Cave on the old Batman shows with Adam West. It was a little more wooded though, had absolutely no light, and was full of potholes. On the way, there was a car broke down on the right. Against my better judgment, I got out of my car to see if I could help. Two large gentlemen, whom I believed to be heading home from a biker bar, stepped out.

I wasn’t sure whether or not to get back into my car.

Turns out that they had a flat tire, but no lug wrench to get the nuts off. They asked if I had one. I said sure, and went back to my trunk. As I was doing this, I thought, “I could very well be handing off a murder weapon.” There was no one else who would be heading down this road, and I may not be found for a while.

So, I gave them a large, heavy wrench, quite capable of fracturing a skull. These two guys were so excited. They had no idea what they would be able to do. The repeatedly called me a Godsend with some nice colorful language with it. They were so thankful. I was thankful to be alive. So was my wife. Then I thought about what kind of impact this could have on someone, and how, like my original thoughts, it was something that Jesus would call us to.

We pass by a lot of people stuck on the side of the road, and we probably think little of stopping by to help. Or pass by a homeless person, single mom, elderly, etc. We all know that serving others is something God calls us to do. Even more than that, he’s called us to have a passion for doing good works.

[Jesus] gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. –Titus 2:14

We’re to be zealous to do these things. Sure fear can kick in. Sure we can be apprehensive. But, we need to remember to be passionate about doing these things…not out of obligation, guilt, or anything else. Our lives need to reflect the love that Christ has for us. We were redeemed to do good. Let’s be passionate and excited about that.

Thoughts to ponder:

-Do I even notice opportunities to serve others as they arrive?

-Can I honestly say that I’m “zealous” to do these things, or do I feel more obligated? If so, why may that be?

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Adam Wormann is a Youth Pastor in Old Bridge, NJ where he’s been serving for the past 8 years. He is also one of the mentors at Life in Student Ministry and the editor of the “Time Out” series. You can stalk him on Twitter and Facebook.

Posted on October 25, 2010