It all boils down to doing what is right. And to know what
is right, we simply need to look to Jesus…how he lived, how he spoke, how he
treated other people, and how he responded to the will of God. It’s easy to
help a person that is kind to us. It’s easy to give our time, our talents, and
our financial blessings to someone that appreciates us…someone that we actually
like and get along with. But God calls us to go beyond just helping those that
we see eye-to-eye with. In fact, the issue is addressed directly by Jesus in
Matthew 5:46-47, “If you love those who
love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do
not even pagans do that?”. We often struggle to come up with a good reason
to help someone that we disagree with. And we likely have no trouble developing
a long listen of reasons NOT to extend a helping hand. But no matter how long the
list of “nots” gets, there is one reason in favor of helping that far outweighs
any that oppose. That one reason is the same reason that gave Jesus the
strength to die on the cross for those that hated him…commitment to the will of
the Father. Jesus was so completely committed to carrying out God’s plan that
he willingly endured incredible pain, ridicule, and punishment…even though he
would have been completely justified to refuse that path. It’s highly doubtful
that we will experience even a speck of that same suffering when we choose to
follow God’s plan in our own lives. In fact, we might even experience the
opposite…we might even experience joy, peace, and true purpose when we allow
the Holy Spirit to work through us in a difficult situation. So what are we
waiting for? May we welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives today, leading us to
opportunities to help ALL those in need…not just those that we like. To God be
the glory!
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