TODAY IS…

the day to reach out to others.

“When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.”  Genesis 14:14 NASB

If we open our eyes and look around us it is not difficult to see someone who is in need of help.

When Abram’s nephew, Lot, was captured, Abram wasted no time getting involved and going to his rescue. Even though Lot’s own greed and sinful nature had gotten him in trouble in the first place, Abram didn’t hesitate to get involved.

Unfortunately, many of us take the position that, “He made his own bed, now let him lie in it.”

This is not a very Christian attitude to take, of course. That aside, why should we reach out to help with another person’s problems? Why should we care? Perhaps Abram’s only motivation was Lot’s relationship to him.

Nevertheless, “He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people.” (Genesis 14:16 NASB).

Do we have to be related to someone to reach out to them? Do we even have to know them? Although there are undoubtedly some we know who need our help, there are also those we don’t know who are all around us and are hurting or in need.

While it is true that we do not want to become known as “busybodies” who always seem to be in other peoples’ affairs, we also do not want to become known as being unwilling to help someone who needs it. Perhaps the problem is we think our time is too valuable to ‘waste’ worrying about someone else.

As Paul stated in his letter to the Galatians, “If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.” (Galatians 6:3 NLT).

Of course, perhaps reluctance is not an issue. Quite probably, many of us know what it is like to feel pain, to need help, and to not know where to turn, making it easier for us to understand and be willing to help.

“Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things.” (Hebrews 10:33 NLT).

No matter who is hurting, or what the cause of their pain may be and no matter what our personal situation may be, there is just one thing that we must keep in mind: It is our obligation to our brothers and sisters everywhere to notice when someone needs a helping hand and, once we notice, we must be willing to reach out to them, and today is the day to start.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson