I grew up in the Midwest, and I remember the first snow day when I was old enough to go shovel the drive. I layered up, put on some boots, and trudged outside to grabbed a snow shovel. In Texas, we don’t often shovel our driveways, but as a native Midwesterner, rest assured that even in frigid temperatures, it’s hard work that works up a sweat. 

As soon as we finished ours, my dad looked at our elderly neighbor’s drive, and told me that we were doing that one next.   

It wasn’t the first time that my parents modeled service for others, but the times I was roped into shoveling someone else’s driveway have stayed with me as an important reminder of what it means to serve my neighbors. 

Galatians 6 reminds us: 

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers (Gal. 6:9-10). 

Service isn’t just something we do to rack up service hours for membership in an organization. We do it because it’s a vital part of how we’re called to live as people who follow the Jesus way. Paul exhorts us to do good to all people at every opportunity. When should you do good? As often as you can. Who should you be good to? Everyone, but especially your brothers and sisters in Christ. 

As we think about what it means to live as neighborhood chaplains, we commit to serving our neighbors. We look for opportunities to do good to them. Maybe there aren’t driveways to snow shovel, but there are so many ways to lend a helping and encouraging hand. It could be mowing a neighbor’s lawn while they’re fasting for Ramadan, or it could be as simple as writing a note of encouragement and sending it their way. 

We don’t serve others to force an opportunity to share the Gospel. We do it whether the opportunity comes because it’s how God calls us to live. We do it gladly. We do it generously. We do it with no strings attached. We do it tirelessly, knowing that when the time is right, we’ll reap a harvest if we don’t give up.