Service - The Lessons of St. Francis

The last 3 chapters of the book The Lessons of St. Francis, by John Michael Talbot with Steve Rabey, covers the topics:

• Service
• Peace
• Prayer

My summaries of these topics will be much shorter than previous ones have been.

St. Francis considered service to others both a call of God AND a social responsibility. He is known for saying, "Preach always. If necessary, use words." Jesus told his disciples, "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave."

Talbot and Rabey point out that "our eternal fate is determined by the milliions of mundane daily decision we make through the course of our lives. If we've lived in sync with God's will and served our brothers and sisters in need, we will inherit heaven.....but that doesn't mean that those who serve others have to wait until after death to enjoy any benefits of their service. Instead, every time we help someone, we receive help from God."

Some suggestions:

• Ask God for guidance.
• Give to organizations that provide critically needed assistance to society's needy
• Clear out things you don't use at home and give them to someone who needs them. Don't give your worthless junk; pass on things that other could use
• Help serve in a local soup kitchen
• Leave your "comfort zone" to serve those in need.
• Do your best for your bosses at work.
• Listen and talk to others about THEIR lives instead of yours.