What are you doing?
I’m currently reading a book called the Love Revolution by Joyce Meyers, with contributions by John Maxwell, Tommy Barnett, Paul Scanlon, Darlene Zschech and Martin Smith. Sadly, I’m not done with the book yet. So many things to learn from, and just let it sink into my heart. When I’m done, and you’d like to have a read, let me know if you know me personally. I wouldn’t mind letting you have a read. Even better if you get one yourself of course. But borrow from me if you like.
I was going through the section written by John C. Maxwell, when I chanced upon this interesting story. And I’d like to share that.
Years ago I came across a piece about someone who fell into a pit and couldn’t get out-and how others treated that person:
A subjective person came along and said, “I feel for you down there.”
An objective person came along and said, “Well, it’s logical that someone would fall down there.”
A Pharisee said, “Only bad people fall into pits.”
A mathematician calculated how the individual fell into the pit.
A news reporter wanted an exclusive story on the person in the pit.
A fundamentalist said, “You deserve your pit.”
A Calvinist said, “If you’d been saved, you’d never fallen in that pit.”
An Armenian said, “You were saved and still fell in that pit.”
A charismatic said, “Just confess that you’re not in that pit.”
A realist came along and said, “Now that’s a pit.”
A geologist told him to appreciate the rock strata in the pit.
An IRS worker asked if he was paying taxes on this pit.
The county inspector asked if he had a permit to dig the pit.
A self-pitying person said, “You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen my pit.”
An optimist said, “Things could be worse."
A pessimist said, "Things will get worse."
Jesus, seeing the man, reached down and took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.
Take a moment and think about it. Compare what everyone and Jesus did. I’m sure all the other people had good intentions and wanted to help the poor man, though some we don’t see how it’s helping (like the Pharisee). But was all that they did what the poor chap needed? Jesus on the other hand saw the need, and delivered what that man needed most.
In our own lives, what are we doing when we see someone in need? We feel for the person at times, but then what do we do? I’ve found that we’re very free with advice sometimes, and we can go on talking and talking, giving loads of advice (which are good advice sometimes, while sometimes it could also be useless). But, ask yourself, does the person really need so much advice? Is it what the person really need? Perhaps it is actually something else, something more practical. Something that involves sacrifice and work. One reason I think we gravitate to just giving advice is because it’s free. There’s not much sacrifice and work with giving advice. But to care for the injured like the Good Samaritan in Jesus’ parable costs us. It cost the Samaritan his time tending to the wounds, the comfort of riding his animal, and money to pay the inn keeper, as well as the resources like oil and wine to clean the wounds. And in our own acts of trying to help others, it will probably also cost us something. Time, talents, effort, money, possessions, any of these. Time in just being there for people, listening to them pour their heart out while being silent listening, just assurances that we're listening and not giving advice not needed. Making people feel appreciated with a word of encouragement or a small gesture of thanks. Or it could be projects that will involve more than just one of the above, with time, effort and money invested.
Let’s ask ourselves a question. Are we really helping others with what they really need? Or are we just beating around the bush doing what we think is helping them, when what they really need is someone to reach out their hand and help them out of the pit?
Like
