How refreshed and relatively shocked I was when a business man with whom I crossed paths took the love, time, and care to listen to me about a certain very concerning matter. Not only did he listen, but he had every intention of addressing the issues I brought to his attention. Maybe this isn’t a big deal for you, but it is for me. I have a background strongly impacted by the fact when I needed help with something very big nobody wanted to listen and help, and I have seen this in our world countless times. Whereby people want to pretend bad stuff isn’t happening and so they look the other way and go on with their lives all the while people are being hurt, taken advantage of, neglected, abused, trodden over, treated as invisible, disregarded, accused of making things up, etc.
Why am I bringing this to your attention? At the end of the day we will all stand before the Lord and have to give an account of our lives. Can you imagine if the Lord points out all the times in our lives He wanted us to help someone, to love someone, to listen to someone, to support someone, to give to someone, to pray for someone, to encourage someone, to report something to authorities and professionals etc. about someone in trouble, in need, etc., and when instead we looked the other way and shoved what we heard and saw under the rug so we could go on with our own lives in comfort and ease?
Ouch, I feel conviction even as I write this. The conviction that we all have a job to do on this earth. To love and serve the Lord with all our hearts and to love others as ourselves. We are to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and in His death and resurrection and to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and to live for Jesus Christ as Lord. This means when God leads us to someone in need He wants us to help in any way, shape, or form, we should humble ourselves, listen and love, and do whatever God desires to help.
Please don’t turn the other way. Please don’t walk away. Please don’t run away. Seems a rare commodity in this day and age, but may you and I be people who obey the Lord in all things – including when it comes to listening and helping a world in need, AMEN!
Please note in the so-called Good Samaritan story that follows how only one man stopped everything he was doing to go all out helping the person in need. The others turned away. Which one will you and I be? The Lord will make known whom He wants us to help. Let us do so with His love, in His strength, with the resources He gives us, with His mercy and grace, by the power of His Holy Spirit who lives inside His followers, in His name, for the glory of the Lord, AMEN!
“And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.” Luke 10:25-37 KJV