2 Corinthian 9:2
“For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.”
The Corinthian church is sadly known as one of the most worldly churches in the Scriptures. What is interesting is that when this church laid aside its worldliness, it picked up an attitude of ministering. Paul said that this church became known as a church that ministered to the saints. In fact, the verse above says they became forward about it. In other words, they were eager and zealous to help others. This attitude spread to the point that others churches were provoked to do the same thing.
Someone once asked me what size churches help me the most. My answer surprised them because I told them that smaller churches did more to meet my needs as an evangelist than larger ones. When I look back at the churches that were forward about helping me and meeting my needs, it has always been the smaller churches. I don’t know why, but I can tell you their attitude toward ministering to my needs greatly helped the meeting because I felt that they wanted me there.
Many churches could create a good spirit if their members acquired a zealous attitude to minister to the needs of others. If church members were zealous to meet each others needs then all the fighting for position would stop. A church ought to be so desirous to meet the needs of others that it would provoke other churches to want to do the same.
Lets transfer that thought to the marriage relationship. Imagine if each spouse became zealous toward meeting the needs of the other. One of the bigger problems that causes marital disputes is that one spouse, or both, don’t feel that their spouse is meeting their needs. What if each spouse set their desires aside and became zealous to meet the other’s needs? This would solve many marital problems. If each spouse were forward about meeting the other’s needs, it would also provoke the children to take on the same mindset.
Moreover, this mindset would bring peace to every home. Could you imagine how much stress you could remove from your life if your children stopped squabbling over their wants? Many mothers are frazzled because they daily deal with children fighting over their wants. This attitude in the home would remove that unnecessary stress.
There are two things you must understand about this attitude. First, this attitude must become a mindset. If this is going to become your mindset then you must take on a servant’s attitude. You must lay aside the attitude that says, “What about me?” and take on the attitude, “May I help you please?” It all has to be about serving. You need to constantly look at how you can help the needs of others. When you hear them give the simplest requests, do your best to meet them. Make the needs of others the master command in your life.
Second, the benefit of acquiring this attitude is that it is contagious. You will find that when you start serving others, it will provoke others to do the same. Always remember that the way to motivate others to serve is to become a servant yourself. It is contagious, and it will strengthen every relationship and bring peace to every place.