• Deepen my intimacy with Christ Jesus, my Lord and Saviour.

Since it is love of Jesus rather than duty that should motivate us, love’s fragile nature needs careful nurture. We cannot continue on this sacrificial journey without deep reliance on Jesus, otherwise we cease to be transformational. According to Charles Ringma, “service is love giving itself away. It is only in solitude that love finds itself again, springing up from within as we are nurtured by the great Lover.”

When we serve through obligation, we have lost the face of Christ. We need to find Jesus again – find our enthusiasm for God’s kingdom. While we can find the face of Christ in service, we need to find sustenance in regular prayer, retreat and whatever else builds our life-giving relationship with Jesus.

Henry Nouwen notes that one who truly prays is standing with “hands open to the world.” In other words, true spirituality empowers us for involvement and sustains us in the long journey. We must not neglect it.