My college roomies are two of my besties. One is named Eve, too, which created a stir all when we both transferred to our tiny college the same semester.

The-Other-Eve heads up a children’s ministry in Belarus, a nation war torn and impoverished at present. Her on-location activity there has had to be suspended, but she keeps doing things locally, like making jewelry and selling it and going before boards and churches to ask for money.

I’m astonished by her dedication and commitment. I’m inspired by her service. What amazes me most is that Eve is a self-proclaimed scaredy cat, who doesn’t like to speak up.

How has she taken on this job, the main task of which is to ask for funding? If you asked her, she’d tell you: it’s for the joy of sharing it with children. Eve finds such a kick in serving, her fears can’t stop her. She’s a force to be reckoned with because God’s Spirit lives inside her.

This is just what today’s passages are about.

Ezekiel 33-34

Being in God’s service is no picnic, whether parent or teacher, worker or leader. Ezekiel is no different. The prophet is with the Jewish captives in Babylon, where God gives him words for them.

The backstory is this: Ezekiel sees visions of God on his throne, of Jerusalem’s idolatry, and of the judgment that’s coming as God heads out of town. He’s so appalled after it all, he spends 7 days recovering, Ez 1-3.

Then God has a lot of hard words for his people, Ez 4-24. He’s got even harder words for their enemies, eight chapters to be exact, of impending doom-and-gloom, Ez 25-32. I’m guessing Ezekiel’s not excited about delivering them, since what God says today in chapter 33 is directed right at him.

God says he’s made Ezekiel a watchman for Israel, and he explains that a watchman watches for trouble and warns folks about it. If the watchman fails to tell them what’s coming, the guilt for their death is on him for not speaking up. Just in case Ezekiel’s tempted to go mute, God says failing to warn them will come back on him, Ez 33:1-9.

Yikes.

This is a difficult spot. Sure, Ezekiel is well known as a prophet, but he’s not one of the guys. He’s not popular. God says his community thinks of him as a ballad singer with a guitar, who tells stories that don’t reach their hearts. They don’t hear his message to repent. They’ve been carted off to Babylon for scandalous debauchery, but they haven’t changed a bit, Ez 33:30-32.

But that doesn’t change Ezekiel’s calling. His gig isn’t optional. God holds him accountable for whether or not he relays his messages, regardless of how others receive them.

Furthermore, in chapter 34, God takes aim at Israel’s leaders. These are their priests and other prophets, as well as community officials. He zeros in on their who’s-who, the beautiful people, and the news isn’t pretty.

They’ve exploited the people. They’re shepherds who feed on the sheep when they should be serving them. They “bully and badger” and “now [the sheep] are scattered every which way because there was no shepherd…” Ez 34:1-6.

So God fires them. He’s taking his sheep back. He’ll rescue them from the bully-shepherds’ greed, so they won’t be able to use God’s people again. “From now on, I myself am the shepherd. I’m going looking for them…” Ez 34:10-11.

This would’ve been a hard sermon to deliver. It’s one thing to be told you’re living wrongly and to lose your homes and your country over it. It’s another to be told, now that you’re slaves in a new time zone, that you’re also fired by the God who hired you.

Will they ever get it right?

Will we?

God expects us to step up in the places he puts us, too. Wherever we are, there are people who need serving–children or parents, neighbors, the sick, the sorrowing, the homeless. Regardless of who we are, we’re all leaders of somebody. The need is bottomless, and Jesus calls us to it. It wasn’t just Peter he was talking to when he said, “Feed my sheep…follow me,” John 21:15-23.

Service to others isn’t an add-on to a busy life. It’s central. It’s vital. Jesus said to follow him, to do what he did, and what Jesus did was serve. Everything he had, he offered, including his blood.

Life isn’t about accumulating stuff. It’s about sharing it in the name of Jesus so others are cared for and drawn to him. We aren’t given health and wealth and time and energy and resources to spend them only on ourselves. “Feed my sheep…follow me,” still calls each of us.

Back in Ezekiel, God tells Israel he’ll rescue his sheep “from all the places they’ve been scattered….I’ll bring them back…I’ll feed them…I’ll lead them…I’ll go after the lost, I’ll collect the strays, I’ll doctor the injured, I’ll build up the weak ones and oversee the strong ones…” This is God’s heart for us, Ez 34:11-31.

How exactly does he do all this?

Through people like Eve. By his Spirit who lives inside us, God chooses to use us and let us in on what he’s doing. And it’s the joy from helping others that surprises and keeps us going. Joy is what kept Jesus and Paul and John going. God doesn’t want anybody serving empty and begrudging, He 12:2; Phpp 2:2; 1 Jn 1:4.

Find your place and serve right there. When necessary, use words. Nobody can fire you. And the payback is worth it.

Hebrews 13

The writer of Hebrews agrees. He gives a list of ways to serve, from offering a bed and a meal to keeping our eyes peeled for Jesus, He 13:1-15.

What we do to serve is simple compared to what was done by the Israelites. Their sacrifices and offerings poured out animal blood and guts. Ours pour out praises, He 13:10-15.

Psalm 114

Pithy and praiseful, this psalm reminds us that because God has freed us, we get to play. Even creation skips and “frolics like spring lambs.” After all, we’re in God’s presence, where even hard rocks run wet with water. Nothing is beyond God’s power to change, Ps 114:6-8.

Proverbs 27:21-22

In the same way metal is refined by fire, so human hearts are tested by a little praise. Pound on a fool with all your might–you won’t free him from his foolishness.

Prayer

God, getting stuff and getting noticed is what the world says success is. But you say it’s about following Jesus and giving myself away. Open up my life to what you want it to be. Forgive me for hanging on so tightly. Help me find the playful, praiseful life you intend for me.

In Jesus’ name.

Bible passages in Ezekiel, Hebrews, Psalms, and Proverbs come from today’s selections in The One Year Bible.