Soon after returning from our vacation at the beach, Mom and I went grocery shopping to pick up some essentials. It wasn't long before our cart was piled high with yogurt, bread, milk, and a variety of snack food and fresh fruit and we were heading to checkout. As we unloaded our items onto the belt, we heard a voice say in front of us, “I’m going to pay for their groceries.”

I looked up from the container of strawberries I had just placed on the belt, and a wave of shock doused both Mom and me like a bucket of icy water when we realized the person was talking to the cashier about us. I turned to Mom and mouthed, Is she serious?

Mom gaped at the young woman. “Oh no, really, we're fine. I don't think you realize just how much we have.”

“We’re buying for a family of eleven,” I supplied, knowing from experience just how much money our family shopping trips could amount to. 

“And we’re able to pay,” Mom continued. “Why don’t you pay for the man behind us? He only has a few items and—”

“Nope.” The woman grinned and leaned on her cart, undaunted. “You were behind me in line. I’m paying for your groceries.”

“But—” Mom swallowed and tried again, but the woman wouldn’t take no for an answer. No matter how much Mom protested, she didn’t budge. 

Dazed, I put the eggs on the belt and nearly tipped them over. Mom was so distracted, she didn’t even notice. (Which I suppose is a good thing.)  The cashier bagged the last item and rung up the total, and just as we figured, it was in the hundreds. The woman didn’t hesitate, however. She stuck her credit card in the machine and paid for all of it. 

When we asked her why she was doing it, she replied simply, “Because I felt led to.”

Needless to say, Mom and I walked back outside to the car absolutely stupefied. Mom was crying, she was so touched.

To me, this was a powerful example of God’s grace poured out on us. My debt has been paid in full—even though I didn’t deserve it. Jesus shed His blood for me to become the “once for all” sacrifice, and I don’t have to work for that forgiveness anymore. He’s already inserted that perfect “credit card” that covers the price of all my sins and has told me over and over, “It’s a gift, Ellen. Accept it.”

But as Pastor Ryan brought up in Sunday’s message, am I trusting God for this gift? Or am I yanking out that “credit card” so I can insert one of my own making, becoming like the servant who, untrusting of his master, went out to the yard and buried what he’d been handed?

Are my good deeds an overflow from the grace He’s given me, or a way of trying to earn His grace?

I’ve learned that in order to truly live as God’s servant, I need to realize He is worthy of my trust, and nothing I do or say can either gain His salvation or take it away from me. I love the way James put it in James 2:18, “…someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (emphasis mine)

I noticed it was after we received the young woman’s gift of paying for our groceries that Mom and I experienced a renewed sense of conviction to serve and not be served. (Matthew 20:28) Works will never save. But if we live like we truly get grace, faith and works will often come hand in hand. Out of the joy we have in Christ and the love He’s planted in us for others, we desire to serve Him.

Recently I’ve been asking God to show me how He wants me to spend my time here on earth. The mission field has always been something He’s laid on my heart, but it’s awesome to know I don’t have to wait till I can speak fluent Spanish or hop on a plane to Africa to begin. I can be a light for Him right where I’m at—in my immediate family, around the neighborhood, or during a visit with friends or relatives.

In the same way, whatever you may feel God is calling you to do, ask Him for opportunities to do it—right here, right now. Do you have a particular talent God has blessed you with? If so, pray especially for that! We’re called to use our gifts “to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10) And again, don’t underestimate the power of our Savior! Speaking from personal experience, I know He can open some very unexpected doors in answer to our pleas.

One of my favorite stories from the Bible reflecting the need to serve is recorded in John 13:1-20, when Jesus humbled Himself by washing His disciples’ feet. The writer made it a point to add this verse: “Jesus, knowing that . . . He had come from God and was going back to God . . .” right before Jesus rose from supper to undress, grab a towel, and devote Himself to such a lowly task as cleaning feet.  

Friends, we have the same assurance. God has put us here with a purpose, and He’s coming back for us. And because of that, we can have the confidence to serve Him wholeheartedly, no matter the task at hand. Be open-minded! Perhaps He’s calling you to mow your neighbor’s lawn, spend more time with your kids, or even buy someone else’s groceries. The possibilities are endless, and not one of them should be viewed as higher or lower than another. If we’re doing God’s kingdom work, that’s all that matters.

As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone is the same God at work.”

Don’t depend on your own strength to serve God today, but instead on the Holy Spirit who lives inside you and me. Starting now, let’s live and serve fully by His grace, looking forward to the day we’ll hear Him say, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.”  (Matthew 25:21, 23)

Image found online.