I spoke last week of making a
difference in someone's life, of helping someone to put them on the
right path for their lives. It requires a bit of effort on your
side, it requires time, but it is more than worth it. You have
helped someone to make something with their lives, instead of
leaving them to wallow in the unfairness of life, which never gave
them an opportunity. The effect you can make is profound.
Now as I said last week, except for
making a big difference in someone's life, you can also be the Body
of Christ in various other practical ways. Don't worry that you are
not a missionary for Christ somewhere, you can make a big
difference right where you are. I am going to name a couple of
practical examples of how you can reach out, but I promise you that
if you make yourself available to God, the opportunities will come
knocking on your door!
1. The next time you are in a
queue in your supermarket and you see someone behind you that you
can truly see don't have the money to even pay for what they have
in their hands, offer to pay for them too and let them know that
Jesus loves them.
2. Buy at least one blanket
each winter for someone that the Lord points out to you.
3. Smile at the cashier even
though you had to wait quite a while to be helped. Show them that
God is in your heart.
4. Tell people that Jesus loves
them. Be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
5. Ask your friends for what
you can pray for them and then do it. There is a lot of power in
prayer.
6. Stop yourself before you
gossip about someone, that is the quickest way of turning someone
away from the Lord, the only life-giving Force.
7. Look something up on the
internet for someone who doesn't have access to Internet.
8. Go and welcome your neighbor
that just moved in and try and help him/her to settle into some of
the activities in the area you might think they'd be interested
in.
Etcetera etcetera, the list is
endless, and these are things we can all do without much effort. We
can all reach out and be the moving, living Body of Christ. We can
represent Him here on earth. And I know it is difficult, our
selfish nature wants to please ourselves. We would rather stay in
our comfort zone. It is much easier and more comfortable. But that
is not God's plan. He 'left' His body on earth for a reason. To
continue with the good work that He did whilst still on earth. He
wants us to represent Him. He wants us to attract people to His
Kingdom. There are various ways of doing that, and each of us has a
role to play in this big commission. Pray that the Lord would give
you the wisdom and the strength to do it, because without the Holy
Spirit's help we won't be able to do it.
Lord help us to be Your Body. Help
us to represent You the way we should. Give us the strength and
Your love in our hearts for other people. In Jesus Name. Amen