March 16, 2013
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God Helps
“God helps those who help themselves.”
Well, you won’t find that in the Bible. Not everyone is able to help his/herself. I prefer “God helps those who need help.”
Maybe that’s not quite accurate either.
One thing I know for sure is that God helps. Perhaps not in ways we would expect God to help, but God does help. It took me awhile to learn this, but God doesn’t always send manna and quail from Heaven. God doesn’t always lead as a pillar of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night. God won’t always have a fish swallow us whole to put us in the right direction… But God always does one thing.
God calls.
God calls us to work; God works through us. Why?
Because we are able and empowered.
It doesn’t take a miracle to feed the hungry. It doesn’t take some mysterious wonder to love the unlovable. We ask why God let’s all this happen, but the truth is, we let it happen. Why?
Because we ignore God’s call.
God calls us to reach out to the least and the lost, even in radical ways, if needed. The Holy Spirit leads us to be ministers. We are ministers to all the people… We are ministers to one another. We are ministers to those who don’t think like us. We are ministers to those out of our own country. We are ministers to our enemies. We give to the poor, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, visit those in prison, and tend to the sick. Why?
Three reasons.
1. It’s being a decent human being.
2. It’s what God calls us to do.
3. Whatever we do to the least of these, we do it to God.This shows God’s nature. God suffers when people suffer… because we are perfectly able.
The link above is to Compassion International’s website. If you are interested, sponsor a child. It’s $38.00 a month and that helps the child’s family and helps to put the child through school. It’s such a small sacrifice to help a person in need.
I’ve been sponsoring a child from Guatemala: Martin. Martin has been a blessing in my life. He writes to me every so often, letting me know what is going on in his life. It helps to make me realize that the small things really do matter.
For Christians, compassion is a necessity. If you haven’t yet, please consider this ministry.
God bless!
Comments (6)
I will certainly talk to my husband about this. I think you are absolutely right, and that God is calling all of us to minister unto others.
i know this is besides the point, but just thought of asking..
“God suffers when people suffer… ”
that is more of like a figure of speech, or God can actually suffer?
@maniacsicko - In my belief, God is a personal God. The feelings we’ve been given are feelings we share with God. Happiness, sadness, anger, jealousy, kindness… being created in the image of God suggests God shares these with us.
Jesus suffered to death on a cross. Since Christians believe that Jesus is God, we believe that God suffers along with us.
Thanks. I do sponsor children.
I use a different charity, but it is helping the children that matters.
Sincerely,
Hunt
Wow, you should get writer’s block more often if this is the result.
We need to take heed of the fact that we are made in G-d’s image. We have the ability to create, to love what we create and respect those that help create what we are.
How we treat the least of the brothers (or sisters) shows G-d how well we can follow his example. There are a lot of things that interfere with showing the fruits of the spirit, so if we are lacking in patience and love we should examine our lives to figure out why?
Are we too selfish? Are we too greedy? Are we too smug and not challenged? Definitely your call to support others is a test. Taking a walk in Faith (Preaching and standing up for principles of G-d) is a sort of different test.
Praying for others is also not very hard but if people do not thank G-d and pray for others when they have spare time that makes me pause if a Christian is truly a Christian.