Craig & Dana Hicks
Connect with me!
  • My 2 Cents
  • Family Life
  • Pictures
  • Media
  • Contact Info

Pay Attention!

04/14/2011

6 Comments

 
Picture
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.”

6 Comments
 

    RSS Feed

    Author

    I've been a youth pastor, associate pastor & a senior pastor. Currently I'm the Student Ministries Director for the West Florida District Council of the  Assemblies of God in Marianna, FL. 
      I'm the husband of my high school sweet-heart Dana Hicks. I'm the proud father of Steven, Emily & Kenzie.

    Archives

    December 2013
    April 2013
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    May 2012
    January 2012
    April 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010

    Categories

    All
    Action
    Altars
    Books I\'m Reading
    Challenge
    Chosen
    Church Growth
    Comfort
    Commitment
    Communication
    Criticism
    Daniel Fast
    Discipleship
    Easter
    Encouragement
    Evangelism
    Fasting
    Filters
    Goals
    God
    Leadership
    Life
    Mentee
    Mentor
    Obedience
    Over Coming
    Passion
    Personal Note
    Potential
    Power
    Prayer
    Pride
    Proverbs
    Self-Esteem
    Stress
    Suffering
    Sunday Re Cap
    Sunday Re-Cap
    Time
    Unity
    Vision
    Wisdom
    Witness

    RSS Feed


Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.