All About Me

Romans 15:1-3 (KJV) Says, "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not Himself; but, as it is written, the reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me."

The above verses of scripture plainly tell us that we are suppose to look after those who are weaker than we are. We are not to put our pleasure, and  wants above what our weaker brothers and sisters need from us in order to please ourselves. This scripture also explains that Christ provided the ultimate example of this, when all of our reproaches fell on Him. He certainly did not please Himself when He being sinless was crucified on the cross for our sins. He did so knowing that we are weak, but He is strong. That is the ultimate sacrifice, and it was made for us, by the one that is perfect. There are many people in today's all about me  society who are unwilling to help those that are weaker than themselves simply because it may interfere with their plans for self indulgence. Many people are suffering from some sort of self-centered syndrome. They are living in a world that they have come to believe revolves around them, and consists of whatever makes them happy.

God never intended for us to be self absorbed, with an unwillingness to help others. I was raised to help those I saw in need of assistance, and to do so without having to be asked. For example, if I drove to a friends house and saw that they were busy with a task, I volunteered to help immediately. Not these days some people will walk within two feet of you, and pretend not to notice you are in need of anything. I was taught to hold the door open for a person entering a store close behind me. These days I advise you to be careful, because there are those who will let the door close on you. If you're on the phone with someone, and mention you have a chore you could use help with, many will wish you well on finding someone to come to your assistance in the matter.

Some of us have family members, and friends who on occasion need to be driven to the grocery store, or a  doctor's appointment. If you are one of these people, how do you respond when they ask you to drive them? Do you kindly say yes, and enjoy the time you get to spend with them, or do you instantly begin thinking about what you could be doing for yourself instead? I took my grandmother to the grocery store on occasion before she went home to be with the Lord. I wish I could take her again, and shop until we were asked to leave. I also drove my aunt to work each morning for a season prior to her going home to be with the Lord. I wish I could drive her again, and I'd take the longest route possible. My point is if you have loved ones who need your help, then help them willingly, and enjoy every minute of it.

When we help those that are weaker than us and do so in the right spirit, it is pleasing to God, and we will be rewarded for it. We all need help from someone stronger than us at some time in our lives because we all find ourselves weak on occasion. For example, if we have surgery we need someone to care for us, when we come home. If we grow old and can't drive or have never driven, we need someone to drive us. For various reasons we can all be certain there will be times in our lives, when we need help from others. When we do, what kind of attitude do we want them to have toward our needing assistance from them?  I think we all agree on the answer to that question. With that said, the next time someone asks a favor of us, and we are not feeling up to it, maybe we could benefit from calling to mind the golden rule.

Be kind toward those who are weaker than you and be willing to help them, when they are in need. Put their needs before your wants. Do it first and foremost because it is pleasing to your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Do it with a good Christian spirit, and not because you will be rewarded for it. Do it because you have the desire to follow Jesus' example of how we are to behave toward one another, and do it out of love. If Jesus, being sinless,  can make a sacrifice of such magnitude for all of us, it seems we should be willing to make small sacrifices for one another.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.