Helping Others in Need
Recently, my pastor preached barefoot. A number of years back, another pastor of mine wore shorts to Sunday morning worship. To my recollection, which sometimes fails me, I’ve never preached barefoot or in shorts. There are reasons for this—I have chicken legs and extremely ugly toes.
In light of this, I am not of the faith which practices foot-washings regularly. I cannot encourage folks to bare their toes if I am not willing to bare my toes. I have nothing against foot-washings and would love to participate in this in a church on a regular basis, but with my feet, that’s definitely a no-go. So, why have feet (and ugly toes)?
According to my pastor, we have feet (and ugly toes) to move us about in doing the work of the Lord. This I can do. As long as my feet are covered with socks or sandals that cover my toes, I am ready and willing to spread the news of and for the Lord.
Isaiah 52.7 says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns’.” Romans 10.15 basically says the same thing. This sent my mind back to images that I have seen over the years after tornadoes had wreaked havoc on communities.
One of the worst stories I have ever read or seen film-footage of was a tornado that struck a school in Oklahoma. Precious children lost their lives. Parents sent their kids to school and they never came home that day.
In 1992, a horrific tornado tore through portions of Putnam and Greene counties. I say this to say that storms can strike our area, too. Lives can be taken in the blink of an eye.
One common denominator in natural disasters is that most folks come running to help those in need and to comfort those who have lost loved ones. Many denominations have organizations that go running to help people after natural disasters.
I’ve always felt these are probably some of the strongest physical and spiritual arms of any denomination or church. Why? It is because their memberships come running to help others. Thank God for people who care in times of tragedy.
You know where this leads me and would lead most folks —how often do we go running to help others spiritually in times of spiritual disasters?
Unfortunately, when folks have spiritual disasters we are less likely to respond, don’t you think?
We are probably more apt to condemn and ostracize them than help them spiritually, which is a terrible testimony of God’s people.
God loves and forgives us of our sins. Which leads me to ask, why aren’t we better at loving and forgiving God’s other children when they sin?
My prayer is that whenever others need for us to come running to their aid, physically or spiritually, we will come willingly and without reservations.