Ok class! Pay attention, please pay attention! Sound familiar? Actually it's something I still hear from my wife on a regular occasion. But I digress… This morning when walking into the store I said “good morning, how are you?” to the lady sweeping the floor. Even though her response was, “I’m fine”, you could tell by the tone of her voice that wasn’t the case. I said “are you really” in which she said “no”.
Everyday we interact with people. Some of them are in great moods doing wonderful, while the next person may be having a horrible day. While one person may be celebrating a new job or birthday, the next one may have just had a horrible fight with a significant other. Who knows? But the fact is, we have to be careful not to be so wrapped up in ourselves that we miss an opportunity to either celebrate with one or be an encourager of another.
Jesus seemed to always find time for people. After all, isn’t that what ministry is all about? As the Body of Christ, we too are ministers. People are hurting, distressed or just looking for answers. We have to be ready to respond to them. “But I don’t want to get involved.” I’ve heard that so many times. To some degree, I completely understand. However, what if no one ever got involved with you? Where would you be today? What if Jesus had never got involved? Where would we all be today?
Sometimes it’s just a simple word of encouragement. It’s being a shoulder to cry on or even taking a second to celebrate with someone. Because this lady was busy working & more customers were coming in, I didn’t take time to talk at length with her. However she knew I was a pastor, so I simply let her know that I was praying for her. And with that simple exchange that took all of 30 seconds, the countenance on her face changed. A smile came across a face that was just down cast.
Please pay attention. Your attention to someone may change the entire course of their day. Let’s be the body & follow the example of Christ who took time for you and me.
Matthew 25:41-45 – “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Everyday we interact with people. Some of them are in great moods doing wonderful, while the next person may be having a horrible day. While one person may be celebrating a new job or birthday, the next one may have just had a horrible fight with a significant other. Who knows? But the fact is, we have to be careful not to be so wrapped up in ourselves that we miss an opportunity to either celebrate with one or be an encourager of another.
Jesus seemed to always find time for people. After all, isn’t that what ministry is all about? As the Body of Christ, we too are ministers. People are hurting, distressed or just looking for answers. We have to be ready to respond to them. “But I don’t want to get involved.” I’ve heard that so many times. To some degree, I completely understand. However, what if no one ever got involved with you? Where would you be today? What if Jesus had never got involved? Where would we all be today?
Sometimes it’s just a simple word of encouragement. It’s being a shoulder to cry on or even taking a second to celebrate with someone. Because this lady was busy working & more customers were coming in, I didn’t take time to talk at length with her. However she knew I was a pastor, so I simply let her know that I was praying for her. And with that simple exchange that took all of 30 seconds, the countenance on her face changed. A smile came across a face that was just down cast.
Please pay attention. Your attention to someone may change the entire course of their day. Let’s be the body & follow the example of Christ who took time for you and me.
Matthew 25:41-45 – “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
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