Communion of Saints: Be Helpful
When was the last
time you went out of your way to help someone else? When was the last time you
talked to someone new? Organised a church/fundraising event? Visited someone
who was lonely or sick? Volunteered to be part of a committee? Complimented
someone for his or her contribution to Bible study or church life?
Recently I forced
myself to do an activity that, difficult as it was, taught me a lesson about
service. If you remember primary school maths you should be able to do it. Draw
yourself a pie graph that represents the amount of time you spend in a normal day
or week doing the following activities: sleeping, daily work, eating, personal
leisure, devotions, family time, and helping others. If you don’t wish to do
that, then please do yourself a favour and at least think about it. How much
time do you spend helping other people? There are many forms that this help can
take, but what is important is to realize that we spend a lot of time on
ourselves in comparison to others. Can we spare additional time for others?
We should be spending
time in the service of others, showing the love of Christ, helping the cause of
His kingdom. There are many ways in which we can be involved in God’s church-
we are called to be ‘living members’ of His congregation. Are we? Think about
your congregation- do you know everyone? Do you help others with their needs?
Sometimes all it takes is a phone-call, flowers, a meal, a card, a chat after
church or club, a quick coffee, a sincere ‘How are you going’… The list could
go on, but the point I wish to make is that it doesn’t have to be time-consuming.
The time it takes to do something small is trivial compared to what it might
bring that someone else.
We should also invest
time into the mutual encouragement of one another, especially amongst the youth
in our congregation. Bible study clubs are important in this regard, as they
not only allow us to study together, we are also able to socially encourage
each other and enjoy fellowship. How much time do you take to do pre-study? To
be ready to encourage, help and discuss with others the Word and works of our
God? Is youth club a priority for you?
Helping others within
the communion of saints is a valuable, God-driven, purposeful use of time. Am I
going beyond the realms of the intentions of my article here? I hope not. It is
one of the practical ways that within the rush of life, we can make a
difference. I also wish to point out that however short or small an activity
might be it could make a lasting, important difference. A difference that shows
the love we ought to show to one another. That shows who we are as thankful
citizens of Christ’s kingdom. That shows we are using our time to fulfill God’s
purpose. May God help us to be community-driven for His church.
Living without Worry: Be Balanced
Having said that
there can be times when we should look more to helping others, we also need to
be careful. Rushing around, being busy, and filling our lives too many
roles/responsibilities can lead us to becoming worried and stressed, as we have
little time for our own thoughts or for God. We shouldn’t make ourselves too
busy, to the point of exhaustion, stress or breakdown- herein lies the term
‘priorities’.
When we are rushed,
we are constantly looking to the future moment, what will happen next, or how
we might handle the next situation. “I’m so busy next weekend, my social
calendar is full, and I’m not going to be able to clean my house or bake a cake
for those Sunday visitors!” It logically leads to worry. But worry doesn’t get
rid of tomorrow’s troubles; it only takes away today’s strength. If we take on
too much baggage, and fill our already busy days with more responsibilities we
will only lead ourselves down a dangerous path. So how are we supposed to cope?
We need to find a balance.
Finding balance in
life is difficult. When do we say yes? When do we say no? When do we create opportunities,
or when do we have to decline? Joanna Weaver puts it this way: “We were created
to say an enthusiastic yes to the call of God in our lives… (but) At the same
time, it’s important to remember that saying yes to God doesn’t mean saying yes
to everything! When our lives are overbooked, it’s easy for us to become
spiritually dry and undernourished. We can barely hear God’s voice above the
busy noise”[1].
So, when do we say
yes or no? That is a question with too many variables for me to answer for all
of you. All I can do is answer it for myself. We need to think about it
individually. Planning ahead helps, but don’t plan too far ahead that it
becomes burdensome. Ask yourself: Am I too worried? Are my commitments too
great that they are dragging me from glorifying God? Have I got the right
balance? Just like when a child first learns to ride a bike, it takes courage,
effort, reflection and practice. May God help us all to find that balance in
our lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment