Matthew 7:12 “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”
Well, here we are, in 2020. Every new year brings feelings of wonder and mystery. What will this year bring? What kind of new adventures await us? What sorrows will come my way? What lessons will I learn? Who will impact my life and whose life will I impact the most this year? While all these questions remain to be answered, one thing is for certain — it all depends upon you! The choices you make will determine the consequences you face. The chances you take will bring about the adventures and new endeavors of this year. Your inconsistencies and inconsiderate behavior will invite pain and sorrows into your life. The people you reach out to and the investments you make in someone else’s life will change their lives for the rest of their life (and yours too)! Jesus taught us that our life is not our own and we are here for a greater purpose than to get, have and keep. We were created in the image of Almighty God and we’re made to fulfill the plans He prepared for our life. The struggle comes because we are sinners and sin makes us selfish and broken. We can easily see the blessings we have been given, if we will look for them. We can appreciate the kindness of God in our life and if we’re not careful, we will get self-absorbed in all that we have and how good God has been to us … and we will forget the purpose behind His goodness in our life. God intends for us to be a channel of His blessings, not a sponge. A sponge soaks up and absorbs all the blessings and has to be pressed to give back. A channel holds on to nothing and the possibilities are endless as to the number of blessings that can flow through it! God wants His goodness and blessings to go through us, not just to us! When we look around and see just how blessed we are, it ought to motivate us to look beyond our blessings to those who are suffering and struggling and to give them a hand up, not a hand out. The Bible is against “Toxic Charity,” and we must be careful not to enable a downward spiral in someone else’s life. We need to be compassionate enough to say and do what is a must, that we might share and show the love of Christ in a most understandable way. While we cannot personally do the miracles that Jesus did, we can be a conduit of His love into the life of someone who is hurting right now. Tragedy, suffering, death and loss are pains we all understand and will face at some time or another in our lifetime. While it may not be your “turn” to hurt, it is someone’s turn and God may have allowed you to be where you are to be the help for which they have been praying. So go ahead, speak to that person who is crying. Stop and smile at that one who is always shopping alone. Reach out to your neighbor with kindness and a helping hand. Who knows when it will be you who stands in need of a true and kind friend? Invest today in the future we all hope to have tomorrow. Jesus looked beyond His own comfort and into the misery of our sinful lives and He did something about it! Jesus died, was buried, and rose again from the dead to offer to me and you the opportunity to become children of God and be forgiven of all our sins. Will you put your faith in Jesus alone to be your Saviour and Lord? Let me know if you have trusted Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour. Leave a comment below. God Bless! See you in church! (Pastor Jones can be reached by email pastor@faithbaptistchurch.us. Follow him on Twitter @PastorTonyJones or visit an upcoming service at Faith Baptist Church … “The Church on the Hill.”)
