“If one person
falls, the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they
fall are in real trouble.”
What an awesome verse! What a needed truth in our world today. We
need each other. That is why God’s purpose for our lives includes other people.
Jesus tells a parable
about the Good Samaritan. I like the story because it relates to every side of
ME. Yeah, you heard me. Sometimes I would rather not even let people know that
I notice them. Sometimes I am curious but don’t have the time. Yet most of the
time I will neglect everything to help a person in need. If you are honest, you
are probably a bit like me.
It gets my motor going and
makes my heart pump fast to see that I have been able to encourage or lift or
help a person in need. Maybe that is one reason why I am in the profession I am
in. Jesus talked about this Good Samaritan doing several things to help the one
in need. The first thing is that he didn’t avoid the man.
“Then a despised
Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt deep pity. Kneeling
beside him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with medicine and bandaged them.
Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took
care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two pieces of silver and told
him to take care of the man. `If his bill runs higher than that,' he said,
`I'll pay the difference the next time I am here.'”
Here are the things that
this man did that we have to do as well:
1 – he saw the man in need
(we have to recognize those in need)
2 – he stopped and spoke to
the man (we have to stop)
3 – he wasn’t afraid to get
blood on his hands and clothes (we cannot be afraid to get dirty)
4 – he went the entire
distance and further to help (we must be willing to give big time)
5 – he paid out of his own
pocket to help the man (we have to be willing to sacrifice)
In our situation of a
crooked world with lots of needy people, don’t avoid them. Don’t avoid the
people who irritate you or who are different than you. That one person you stop
to help may be the very one who will say yes to Jesus. On the other hand when
we avoid people we shout “you are worthless” and that couldn’t be further from
the truth with God in mind.
By the way, the Samaritan
was looked down at by those who had it all together in society. We may think we
have it all together, but be careful with that. The Bible warns to by saying
‘let the person who thinks he stands tall be warned because he can fall’ (1
Corinthians 10:12).
Here
is the challenge of the day: people need God and people need you … Don’t Avoid
Them!
NOTE:
this first appeared on my blog on November 8, 2006.
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