Who Are You Helping?
In class one day, Charlie Brown’s teacher said, “We were put here to help others.” To which Charlie Brown replied, “So what are the others here for?” You might have to ponder that one a bit.
Many years ago I befriended a guy by the name of Bob Kerr. His slogan was, “Helping people is my life.” He said it as a kind of a joke with a smile on his face. He said it in such a way that he communicated; he didn’t really want to help people. People laughed at him when he repeated his slogan the way he did. Because even though it sounded like he didn’t want to help people, we all knew him well enough that he really did have a heart for people. So, who are you helping?
We can do things for people because we like doing them. We can help ourselves by making changes because we are doing unhealthy things. We will be better off if we make those changes. But when we serve others and love others, that is powerful.
Was that in the back of His mind when Jesus developed what became known as the Golden Rule? Here is how He said it. “Whatever you want people to do to you, do also to them.” This was later translated into “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Living by that standard is not so common today, but it is very Christlike. It is life changing. Imagine what life would be like if politicians actually practiced that. Imagine if parents modeled that and parented in that way. Imagine if leaders led that way. Imagine if the abortionist went to work each day with that as their plan for the day. Imagine if the hopeless person adopted that as their new focus. Rather than focusing on themselves, they thought of others. Life on the planet would be radically different.
When we help others and when we serve others, we are not being their doormat to walk on. Nor are we being their slave so they can sip sweet tea under a shade tree. We are setting the wheels in motion for a better today, a better tomorrow, and a better life on earth. It gives a person what they need even when it costs us something.
Next time we are going to deal with love. How do you define love. Think about it. Write it down. Is your definition the same as that practiced by the world or is it radically different? If you need a little hint with defining genuine love, the definition can be found in the Bible and gleaned out of the little epistle known as First John. We will unpack that next week. Take care!
