John 15:12-13 (NKJV)
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
Have you ever passed those organizations set up in front of your favorite store collecting donations, but you were not sure who they were or if you should give? How about a friend or neighbor that you know had something come up and needs a little help? Maybe it’s passing a person on the street who is asking for some food or money?
We could see or hear situations daily where we are asked to help. It could be at that moment we need to make a decision whether we should or not. There may not be any time to think it over, but far too many people who may have the time or means to do something run the other way. There even may have been occasions when we did and we made sure others saw us or knew what we did.
Some of us may give somewhat freely to whatever cause we are presented with, while others are selective of what they support, or we could fall into the category that we do not want to be bothered with any of it. Each one of us should know what we are willing to do or not. If you do not, you may want to sit down to figure out where your heart lies.
Keep in mind that it does not have to be all about money. Sharing a meal, donating clothing, or even just some of your time to help could make a difference in someone’s life. But this fast-paced world seems to pack our schedule, pull our attention, and even push our motives in a strictly personal direction.
There may have been times when we felt that we were the ones that needed that little bit of assistance. Then our attitude can quickly change, and we may exhibit some of those outward emotions that we easily turned a blind eye to. We may have experienced that unpleasant feeling when someone hung up or turned to walk away from us.
We have to remember these feelings, but there is a fine line between sympathy and empathy. Sympathy is where you may care and want to help, but you feel sorry for that person or situation and give out of a feeling of guilt. Where with empathy you truly connect and share in the experience, and you give or help out of love.
Again, we need to sit down and have a conversation with ourselves to figure out where we are with all of this. It’s like other areas of our life where we need to sort through everything that has happened in our lives and figure out what we believe. It may be difficult to look past the times you felt taken advantage of or flat out lied to, but this helps us to define the person we are moving forward.
I have had many different feelings when I have gotten involved in the past. Everything from a sense of satisfaction to the doubt that I have made any impact at all. But it’s not about us, it’s about doing something at a time when something needs to be done.
Whether you volunteer to serve and give regularly or just act when you see a need in front of you, do so out of love and not for attention or obligation. There is a certain feeling you get when you are thanked for what you did and you did not look form or expect anything.
This is how the Lord taught us to live. He reached out in love to everyone around Him until He gave His last breath. He shared some of this with His disciples in the opening scripture and many of them could not fully understand what he meant until He died for all the sins of man. So, what does this mean to us now?
In Romans 5:8 we get some of the explanation, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God knew all people were imperfect sinners, but still sent His Son to be that final perfect atoning sacrifice needed to restore a way back to Him for those who believe in what Christ did.
In 1 John 3:16-17 speaks of how Christians should act, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?”
We can acknowledge that Christ loves us for what He did, and we can even get behind helping someone we see in need, but would we be prepared to lay down our lives for another? We see many examples in the world today where people are prepared to die to serve their country or for a cause, but very few rush to defend or save someone they don’t even know.
You may not know where to begin or how far to go, but Deuteronomy 15:10 (NIV) gives us some simple guidance, “Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.” Give generously from the heart and the Lord will bless you in all that you do.
So, during this Easter season, not only celebrate that Christ rose from the dead, but reflect on what He taught us when He gave His life in the first place. Love God, Love people. Then join me in spending some time reevaluating why and how much we are willing to give, how far we are willing to go, and how we choose to reflect the love that God first showed us.
THEN FOLLOW WHERE I LEAD
Throughout the day I may be faced with what I want to give,
A little money, some food, or even time to help another live.
Often I will do this freely without giving it a second thought,
But sometimes I may have other motives, pure intentions they may be not.
To open up my heart is not easy, I could actually feel another’s pain,
I may want to quickly turn it off to prevent any emotional drain.
Lord, I know I need to keep helping others and not limit how I do,
Show me how to not stop myself so I can serve others more like you?
Dear child, what you ask could be much more than you bargain for,
Especially if you were asked to give up something that you truly adore.
An example I did set but it came at a price most wouldn’t pay,
My life was given so all mankind could be forgiven today.
I paid this price freely never worried about the cost,
It was done with love to make a way for everyone that is lost.
When you’re looking for ways to give do not hold on to just what others need,
Open up your heart with love and believe in me, Then Follow Where I Lead.
Simple Faith Christian
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Simple Faith Christian 