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doing something for someone else

If you are anything like me, you are having a tough time watching people hurt right now.  The economy, job lose, personal trauma and so much more.  Seems to be in epidemic proportions.  Yet I think there is something else in even far greater epidemic proportions: selfishness.
 
Hear me out.  Don't turn me off ... at least yet.  The only way you turn your selfishness around is by doing something for someone else.  Stop talking about who hurt you, what happened to you or how bad things are for you.  Those things may be true.  But God is still God and He has still blessed you.  Turn things around.  Give it a try.
 
Leviticus 19:18 (HCSB) --- Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself. 
 
That verse hit me hard this morning.  What part of myself do I put in front of helping other people or doing things for other people?  It could be the people that I come across through ministry at church, those I pass by at the store or on the street, or it could even be the people who live in my house.
 
These are days to do something for someone.  Stop living for yourself and start living as if others matter.  We hesitate to do this because we comfortable or callus or maybe even uncaring.  That hurts, my friends.  That really hurts.
 
Do something for someone else today.
 
Mark 10:45 (nlt)--- For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.
 
I believe that has called our church and me to lead as many people as we can to get outside of ourselves by doing something for someone else.  Will you join us this weekend?
 
Here are some resources I have been encouraged by:
 
http://invisiblepeople.tv/blog/ --- blog that tells the story of homeless people
 
http://servolution.org/7days/ --- churches gathering April 3-9, 2009 to serve people in their communities
 
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=64457572064 --- facebook group asking people to do one act of kindness per day in 2009
 
http://thecommunityfellowship.wordpress.com/give-back/ --- results from our Give Back project

Comments

Amanda, the Conqueror said…
Very relevant posting. I find more and more of my friends trying to compare troubles, rather than trying to lift each other up. It's important to remember that every person is carrying some kind of burden and to that person it is the heaviest burden, even if it may not seem so to us. But we also all have something to offer to each other. God didn't design us to live totally independent of others. We are the body of Christ, working as a whole...
February 20, 2009 at 1:01:00 PM EST
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