Like many of us, Adam Oake of Toronto spent a lot of time last fall thinking about the war in Ukraine. Unlike most of us, he decided to do something to help. “I couldn’t sit on the couch knowing that there’s something I can do to make a difference”, he said.
A contractor by trade, Adam finished his last job, sold his collection of Toronto Maple Leaf memorabilia, took his life savings out of the bank, and bought an airline ticket to Ukraine. When he got there, he was assigned to the Norwegian Crisis Response Volunteer Organization and spent five months delivering food to civilians trapped near the front lines. After several close calls, he arrived home safe and sound in January.
Oake plans to return to Ukraine in March so that he can help people rebuild their homes. When asked why, his response was, “If people like me aren’t willing to go there and help, then who will go and help these people in need?”
Adam Oake sacrificed every material thing he had and put himself in danger to help people he did not know, and it made the national news because of it.
People who selflessly serve others not only make a difference but also get noticed.
The value and importance of servanthood is nothing new though. Two thousand years ago, Jesus said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35). Paul encouraged the church to “serve one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13). Jesus’ example was that he came to serve, not to be served, and to give his life (Matthew 20:28).
These days there is a lot of talk about how to influence others and make a difference in the world. The answer begins when we forget about ourselves, our agendas, our preferences, and what we want, and start to think about how we can serve other people. You do not need to go to the extreme that Adam Oake did, but we can all make a difference each day wherever we are. All it takes is a small change of focus from me to you.
“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4).
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