(unmarked journal entry – matthew 15)

it should be obvious to us that whenever we have an inkling that it is time to serve, or that someone needs some God-attention in their life, that it is our direct obligation to do something, anything, to help.

large or small, clean or dirty, kind or rude (it doesn’t matter what state they are in) when we see an opportunity to be Jesus to someone, it’s always the right time. if we are walking with Jesus, as the disciples did, day-by-day then those opportunities should become more and more obvious. no one who crosses our path should be exempted from the possibility list. no one should fall into a category of ‘people i won’t associate with.’ when it’s all said and done, if we bypass someone that God has placed in our lives, then we’re going to have to answer for it…and rightfully so.

Father, help me to be attentive to Your Spirit’s call on my heart as i walk through life. i want to be available to Your call to service.

amen.

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i never see anywhere in Scripture where God calls us to help people, ‘unless they look really odd or different from you, or make you uncomfortable.’ i don’t see Jesus saying, ‘help those whom you want to help.’ i never remember a prophet telling israel, ‘and go out into the land, being kind to those of your neighbors whom you get along with really well…and don’t worry about the rest.’

of course not…

if we think about it for even a split second, we cannot assume to think that we are ever exempted from helping anyone. i even think that there can be a positive result from when we are attacked for doing good. i always remember the time when dave stone pulled over to try to lend a hand to some guys on the highway, and wound up getting robbed. he obviously didn’t anticipate any problems. he was just pulling over to do a good deed for the sake of Christ. were these guys open to being helped that day? apparently not, and even though they stole from him and abused him and his kindness, i still would venture to say that his heart was where God wanted it to be. even though it was a scary and disturbing event in his life, he was making himself available. and that’s what we have to do…

again, this is no great revelation, God has never promised us that things would get easier when we follow Him. He never said that we would get a cake walk or a grand reception. instead, we are reminded that the more we resemble Jesus Christ, the more the world will despise us. it just goes with the territory.

so we must be ready for those times when we get rejected. they will come. we must prepare for those times when we are abused for His Name’s sake. but we must never hesitate to open up to His leading, because even our own physical safety isn’t worth keeping if it means someone else who doesn’t know God, continues down the path to hell because we did nothing. i would gladly take a beating if it taught someone else about Jesus. and who knows how much longer we will be ‘safe’ in america anyway? we have had it ‘easy’ for far too long, and complacency runs rampant. it may be that God’s plan to catch our attention comes by a removal of our ‘freedom’ that we have here.

if that is the case, know that the cross of Christ leads us through jeering crowds, pain, suffering and death before rest comes. so, we must be prepared for whatever comes our way until then…and be willing to serve anyone, even those who bring our death.