Psalms 82:3-4 “Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people."
I was struck by something I read again this morning. I've seen it many times and often more prevalently during this season of the year, so it wasn't shocking to me and it certainly wasn't by any means something outrageous. In fact, it was good and something that I've practised myself often. But even as I agreed with what I read, for some reason it also simultaneously struck a familiar chord of inner protest in my own heart at the same time. I think that it's because it touches a personal burden of my heart that I felt compelled to write.
It was a written call to pray for the less fortunate in this Christmas season that I read - to which I agree is good and right. After all as His children, we know that there's no possible greater power to affect the plight of those less fortunate than our heavenly Father. But as I've felt the deep stirring in my heart so many times before when I've read it or heard it, my heart wanted to cry out a response to it:
Are we acting in our daily lives with that same concern for the less fortunate that Father God may have intentionally placed within our own reach? What if He put inside of us the very power necessary to change the course of their path and lift them up ... and instead of using it - being the active hands and feet of Christ, we just prayed for something else?
Sure, they may have made bad decisions or taken some action that caused them to fall or led them to the place of their lower fortune - they did something that makes them undeserving ...
... but ... didn't ... we?
Weren't we also guilty - those of us who now claim as our current fortune that of joint heirs to the inheritance of Christ? Weren't we once fallen and completely undeserving of the astounding grace we've now received by God's mercy?
1 John 3:16-19 (NLT) "We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? 18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God."
These aren't likely popular thoughts in a world whose motto seems to be "All for one and the one is me". By the way, THIS IS NOT a call to thrust your hand into your wallet. It's a call to make certain that we're resembling Christ and that we're being led by His Spirit in our dealings with others. So in that mindset, what would Christ say to that less fortunate person? What would He do?
Matthew 25:45 (NLT) "And he will answer, 'I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me."
It might be that a kind word is all that's necessary to remind that person working the drive through that not all people are self centered and mean spirited. That single mother with two children who has no hot water in the house because the water heater elements need to be replaced ... can we fix it? Has Father God given us the ability to be a help to those in need even if all we have is a word of support or some other simple kindness? Can we lift a broken heart or maybe fix a broken car so that a dad struggling to support his family can get to work? Do we have the opportunity to stand up on the side of justice in support of someone that's being treated unfairly?
I'm sure you've probably heard it a hundred times, maybe more, but in sincerity ... WHAT WOULD Jesus do?
If we're true children of God, then Christ's spirit is living inside us. What's He saying? Are we listening? Is He leading ... or are we just wrapped up in our own little world? The power to change the world resides within us. Are we letting who's inside us come out? I know there are many that are, but there may be some that haven't stopped to think about it.
Coming to the point: Along with praying for those who suffer in this world and knowing that God's children can be found in almost every part of the earth, I think at the same time we're praying, we should also be asking a question; What in this world ... and more specifically, what in MY little world ... would Jesus do to help those within my own little world? I can't help but believe that if Jesus is actually allowed to act through every one of His followers - in every part of this world, the world will definitely spot Him everywhere (He kinda stands out) and we'll see a change. It all starts within our own reach - our own little world.
Has Father God placed within us the very answer to the silent prayers of someone else? What if ...?
I was struck by something I read again this morning. I've seen it many times and often more prevalently during this season of the year, so it wasn't shocking to me and it certainly wasn't by any means something outrageous. In fact, it was good and something that I've practised myself often. But even as I agreed with what I read, for some reason it also simultaneously struck a familiar chord of inner protest in my own heart at the same time. I think that it's because it touches a personal burden of my heart that I felt compelled to write.
It was a written call to pray for the less fortunate in this Christmas season that I read - to which I agree is good and right. After all as His children, we know that there's no possible greater power to affect the plight of those less fortunate than our heavenly Father. But as I've felt the deep stirring in my heart so many times before when I've read it or heard it, my heart wanted to cry out a response to it:
Are we acting in our daily lives with that same concern for the less fortunate that Father God may have intentionally placed within our own reach? What if He put inside of us the very power necessary to change the course of their path and lift them up ... and instead of using it - being the active hands and feet of Christ, we just prayed for something else?
Sure, they may have made bad decisions or taken some action that caused them to fall or led them to the place of their lower fortune - they did something that makes them undeserving ...
... but ... didn't ... we?
Weren't we also guilty - those of us who now claim as our current fortune that of joint heirs to the inheritance of Christ? Weren't we once fallen and completely undeserving of the astounding grace we've now received by God's mercy?
1 John 3:16-19 (NLT) "We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? 18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God."
These aren't likely popular thoughts in a world whose motto seems to be "All for one and the one is me". By the way, THIS IS NOT a call to thrust your hand into your wallet. It's a call to make certain that we're resembling Christ and that we're being led by His Spirit in our dealings with others. So in that mindset, what would Christ say to that less fortunate person? What would He do?
Matthew 25:45 (NLT) "And he will answer, 'I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me."
It might be that a kind word is all that's necessary to remind that person working the drive through that not all people are self centered and mean spirited. That single mother with two children who has no hot water in the house because the water heater elements need to be replaced ... can we fix it? Has Father God given us the ability to be a help to those in need even if all we have is a word of support or some other simple kindness? Can we lift a broken heart or maybe fix a broken car so that a dad struggling to support his family can get to work? Do we have the opportunity to stand up on the side of justice in support of someone that's being treated unfairly?
I'm sure you've probably heard it a hundred times, maybe more, but in sincerity ... WHAT WOULD Jesus do?
If we're true children of God, then Christ's spirit is living inside us. What's He saying? Are we listening? Is He leading ... or are we just wrapped up in our own little world? The power to change the world resides within us. Are we letting who's inside us come out? I know there are many that are, but there may be some that haven't stopped to think about it.
Coming to the point: Along with praying for those who suffer in this world and knowing that God's children can be found in almost every part of the earth, I think at the same time we're praying, we should also be asking a question; What in this world ... and more specifically, what in MY little world ... would Jesus do to help those within my own little world? I can't help but believe that if Jesus is actually allowed to act through every one of His followers - in every part of this world, the world will definitely spot Him everywhere (He kinda stands out) and we'll see a change. It all starts within our own reach - our own little world.
Has Father God placed within us the very answer to the silent prayers of someone else? What if ...?
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