You have a full day of activity lined up--washing, shopping, errands--when your neighbor calls and invites you over for coffee. You don't think she's a believer in Christ, and you've been praying for a chance to talk with her. You know she's been having a rough time. Do you go?

Or a friend asks if you will consider being a big brother to a teenager who desperately needs a father figure. It will take some precious hours out of your day. Do you do it? Is it worth your time?

Jesus often interrupted His schedule to minister to people He met along the way. In Matthew 20:29-34, we read that He stopped and healed two blind men who called for His help, ignoring the crowd that tried to keep the two quiet. On another occasion, Jesus rebuked His disciples for keeping little children away from Him (Lk. 18:15-17).

Author Henri Nouwen mirrored this sense of service. For the last 10 years of his life he ministered at a home for the seriously disabled, taking 2 hours every morning to bathe, shave, dress, and feed a profoundly retarded man.

Serving a man incapable of responding may seem inefficient to us. But when we look at the example Jesus set, we learn that love and service are never a waste of time!  — David C. Egner