“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

(Philippians 2:4 ESV)

William Booth was given the title “The Prophet of the Poor.” He is best known today as founder and first general of the Salvation Army. He became burdened for the poor in the cities of England, and began serving the poor and having nightly open-air meetings for evangelism. 

The Salvation Army, as his group came to be called, dispensed “soap, soup, and salvation” across the great cities of England, and beyond. When asked about why he began serving the people near him instead of going elsewhere for his mission, he said, “”I seemed to hear a voice sounding in my ears, ‘Where can you go and find such heathen as these, and where is there so great a need for your labors?'” 

Later in life, when the salvation army had spread across the Atlantic Ocean to the United states, a national gathering of Salvation Army workers took place. General Booth was too sick to come and speak, so instead he sent a telegram across the ocean. When it was received, the speaker rushed to the front of the room and announced to the large gathering that the great general William Booth had sent them a message to share with the conference. The room fell silent, and the telegram was opened. It contained only one word. Others.

Not self, but others. General Booth was truly a man who desired to live loving his neighbor as he loved himself.

After he died, 150,000 people came to view his body, and 40,000 people, including Queen Mary, were in attendance at his funeral. It was a remarkable end for a man who was born poor, and served the poor all his life.

“‘Not called!’ did you say? ‘Not heard the call,’ I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish his mercy to the world.”

(Source: How to Find God’s Calling On Your Life) 

Darrell Stetler II is a pastor, a husband and dad of 7, and creates a discipleship program for churches.