Humbly Helping

Proverbs 16:19    Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.

 

My youngest daughter Lauren left Knoxville this morning, as part of a mission team that's going down to Gulfport & Biloxi, in the Katrina damaged areas of the Gulf coast. She'll be there for four days helping to clean up the mess and fix some of the shattered homes. It's the first time she has done anything like this, and I hope and believe that she will come back a changed person.

 

Lauren applied to be a member of this mission team all on her own. She wasn't coaxed or coached by me; she wasn't pressured or coerced by anyone else either. She just had this desire in her heart to help people in distress and be working amongst others who feel the same way. She's not a material kind of girl; in fact, sometimes I refer to her as my hippie daughter. She has a sensitive heart and a compassionate spirit. She doesn't draw attention to herself, nor will she look for any praise for doing this. She just feels the need to help the lowly in spirit and be among those whom Nature has oppressed.

 

We all have opportunities to help others everyday, but sometimes we're just too busy; other times, we're just too afraid. However, if we allow Christ to humble our hearts, He'll find a way to diminish our fears and overcome our self-afflicted incapacity to lend a helping hand to those in need.

 

So, let's all watch for opportunities today, where we can be of service and support to others around us. And let's do these things as a means of lifting them up to Christ in the midst of crisis, trouble, and depression. That way we will be doing good where it is needed most, and also glorifying God for providing us as the vessels of His help.

 

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You know that we are going to come across people in need today. Enable us to overcome our fear, pride, and insensitivity, so that we may be of assistance to those who are most in need. Grant us the strength to set aside those stressful things that would hinder us from offering help and healing. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.