Tina baking cookies with Santos
As seen in Thursday’s blog, taking care of yourself is crucial in order to be a valuable servant in the world we live in. Clearly, when we don’t get the rest, exercise or God’s Power (through scripture and prayer) on a daily basis we become useless.
However, the next step in the process is to take care of others.
But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 1John 3:17
The world is full of needy people. The list is endless to those around us who are suffering from starvation, dehydration, oppression, disease, war and every other terrible thing you can think of. You may not have anyone next door with those issues, but I would almost guarantee you have someone on your street battling anger, depression, anxiety, cancer or something similar.
What are you doing for them?
This is Vladimir. He is blind.
“Great, Meg! Way to make us feel good!” Sigh….
Ignoring the needy around us doesn’t make their situation better or make the problems go away.
Sound harsh? Well, it’s probably because I know all too well how to close my eyes to those less fortunate. I mean, come on! I’m busy. I’ve got my own family to worry about. And I really don’t know what to do.
In fact, I have a list of excuses not to get involved with taking care of others around me.
If they hadn’t done ‘this or that’ they wouldn’t be where they are today.
That country is too far away and I should pay attention to my own community.
I don’t have enough money to pay my own bills, much less someone else’s.
I am not qualified.
I’ve got my own problems; I don’t have time to deal with someone else’s.
I already give money to ‘such and such’ cause, so I’m off the hook.
Any of these sound familiar? (Um, please don’t tell me I’m the only one who has these internal arguments!!!!) YIKES!
Living life for our self is not living life at all.
Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:1-4
The poor widow knew the secret. She understood that when she gave of herself, her time and her money…that was living a life WORTH living. She was looking onward to her home in Heaven instead of being worried about her comforts here on earth. And she was placing God’s purpose above her own agenda.
Not many of us know how to do that.
Indeed, we often sit around complaining about what we don’t have, how bad we feel and how horrible our lives are when we should be getting off our rears and living a life WORTH LIVING.
Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. Luke 12:33
Jesus “came not to be served but to serve”. (See Mark 10:45) So, doesn’t it seem ridiculous to think we should be treated like royalty when the one true King placed our lives above His own??? Hmmm….
Tina working with another volunteer
Our accumulation of stuff won’t make us happy. True joy is being used for God’s Purpose and KNOWING that He will take care of us. Trust Him. When we take care of others we then begin to live out God’s Will and that is a life worth living!!
What can you do today to take care of someone else?
Some Wisdom for Today: Proverbs 28:27 – Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.
***Pictures provided by my friend, Tina Pruitt, from her trip to El Salvador.
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