Even the smallest act

The most satisfying thing in life is to have been able to give a large part of one's self to others. (Pierre Teilhard de Chardin)

...be an example to the believers with your words, your actions, your love, your faith, and your pure life ...continue to read the Scriptures to the people, strengthen them, and teach them. Use the gift you have... Continue to do those things; give your life to doing them so your progress may be seen by everyone. Be careful in your life and in your teaching. If you continue to live and teach rightly, you will save both yourself and those who listen to you. (I Timothy 4:12-16)

We are not put on this earth to live as we might please, but to live as it pleases God. In living in such a manner, we will find that we will be drawn to the needs of others, finding ways to minister to that need as we are able. Why? We are following the example given by Jesus and being living instruments of grace. We are to use the gifts we have been given - not for our own edification, but for the building up and restoration of others. 

In all manner of 'living', there is some form of 'teaching' that occurs. It might not be that we stand before a class and instruct from a book, but we 'instruct' with our actions (our daily lives). God asks that we 'live' in such a way that our 'instruction' will guide others to seek truth and to find relationship with him. We become instruments of grace, not so much by 'preaching the Word', but living the Word out in our daily lives.

How do we strengthen each other? It may be in small ways at first, but as we get 'better' at living with others in mind, not focusing on ourselves all the time, we find 'bigger' ways to be a blessing in the lives of those around us. What has God called you to do today in the life of another? Pray for them? Spend time helping them with something around their house? Bringing them a meal? Small steps result in big rewards, friends! Take even the smallest step today in obedience to what God prompts and see what amazing blessing he will bring to each of your lives! Just sayin!

Get your shovel

I am sometimes guilty of judging a book by its cover - like when I pass a quick judgment on someone or something because I see something on the "surface" which kind of gets my dander up, but really don't understand the reality of what they are going through just beneath the surface. We never really know what another will bring into our lives until we get beneath the surface - look beneath the "cover". Lest you think you are beyond concealing things beneath a "cover" in your lives, ask yourself this question: "When was the last time I was truthful about the toughest struggle in my life today?"  That question is telling because we often don't have anyone with whom we can share the struggle; or we don't really want to be honest about the struggle because it is kind of humbling to admit we struggle in that area of our lives. In reality, we have no struggles which are not "common" among all men and women - things like fear, anxiety, mistrust, pride, addictions, lust, and even right living. We ALL are "earthen vessels" - plain folk with down-to-earth problems and desires.

If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best! (2 Corinthians 4:7-12)

It should not catch you by surprise that God uses "earthen vessels" to display his greatness. Plain folks with plain old real-life problems putting him on display before a hurting and hungry world. God doesn't go for the most glamorous, or the most charismatic - he uses us! As with all truth, we have to believe it to make it worthwhile in our lives. I can "know about" gravity, but until I fall a few times, I don't really believe it exerts a forceful pull in my life! You come to appreciate the truth once you realize it has validity - having "validated" it by exposing yourself to its reality. What makes the difference in the realization of our true problem is not our "confession" of the issue, but the "unwrapping" it. If we are to finally get beneath the "cover" in our lives and the lives of those we have relationship with, we have to be willing to "unwrap" ourselves. We are ALL "earthen vessels", holding onto some things we would do well to get out in the open, and containing light which needs to be shared with those around us.

Look only at the "earthen vessel" and you can make pretty inaccurate judgments, huh? Pour out the contents and you will often see a different side of a person. Most of us are concerned others won't "like" us if they see the "real" us, so we only allow "surface" looks. It isn't until we begin to be "poured out" that we can actually see what it is that God has been doing "inside" us all that time. He contains himself in "ordinary lives" - using "ordinary lives" to touch "ordinary lives". Here we find the "connection" we so desperately need - one "ordinary" life pouring out into the "ordinary life" of another. There may be "severed" parts of our lives which really need the skill of one more knowledgeable about the issue, and the time to allow the healing to occur. This is the value of connecting with another, allowing them beneath the surface, and into the "severed" parts of your life. It is an opportunity to allow another to share the path to healing. 

God knows exactly what we need in order to break free of our struggles - and it is often best accomplished when we aren't trying to walk alone! Each supporting the other - each not afraid to encounter the other when one of us is being a sissy with something God wants us to be bold about! Some of us need someone telling us we are being a little bit of a sissy when it comes to our issues. We need a "goading" once in a while. God places "ordinary lives" together to do just that! What Jesus did AMONG us, he does IN us - he lives! We cannot settle for just having life "among" us, we need it "IN" us. We don't get life IN until we are willing to go beneath the surface stuff. A book has to be cracked to be read. A light needs to be switched on before it illuminates what is hidden. A buried treasure cannot be found until someone starts to do a little digging. Just sayin!

No one stands alone

I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. (Philippians 3:12-14)

I am NOT someone who has a it all together with a "complete package" as it comes to talents, treasures, looks, or ability. We might like to give a good impression of having it "all together", but in reality, it takes a whole lot of duct tape and bailing wire to keep it that way! It takes a whole lot of work and emotional effort to live that way. In fact, I had decided a long time ago the "all together" / "complete package" just didn't "fit" who I wanted to be in this life. It took a while to get to the point of not being afraid to let others know where my edges were a little frayed and my hems not at all even! In my willingness to "get real" with others, there has been a liberty like no other. The ability to be real with others only came when I realized others weren't "spurred on" in this race toward Christ by the "perfect package" they saw in me. In fact, the perfect package I portrayed (play-acting, really) kind of intimidated them! It overwhelmed them - almost making them cower away in fear because the "perfect package" piece seemed just too hard to actually achieve.

More than enough time and had gone into "appearing" one way and "acting" another. It no longer matters that I be the "complete package" because I realize we are all in this together as 'incomplete packages' - no one really standing out as the "subject-matter-expert" here. We all require someone to reach out and to draw us along at times. None of us is above tiring. None is above quitting. When we feel this way, we need the hand of another to pull us on and to be the voice of encouragement we need to hear. What brought me to this point in life? I think I recognized I actually needed what others offered, but they wouldn't offer because I was so unapproachable. As long as I remained as a "perfect package", no one even wanted to approach me, much less really be an encouragement in my life! What I had to realize is that we all have similarities in this walk - we all need a little hand holding now and again! Christ reaches out to us through another, spurring us on. Some might struggle with this whole "hand holding" idea, but in reality, we need it more than we realize.

Paul goes on to tell us we need to keep focused. Focus is not only a personal thing, but it is also a community thing. We often don't see what is right in front of us. My pastor always said: "The eye cannot see the eye". In other words, we need others to see the splinter in our eye! Focus is impacted by the splinter we cannot see around! When we want refined focus - we need others to help us refine it. God gave us these individuals so we might get perspective through a different set of eyes. If you don't realize the benefit of a different set of eyes on a circumstance, consider the last time you needed assistance to get the most out of your tax return, or to find the one loose wire under the hood of your car that kept it from running right. I could have read all kinds of self-help books until I finally figured it out on my own, but the tax accountant knows more of the law around the tax code than I could ever hope to learn through one of the self-directed manuals. The mechanic actually knows what wires make my car do the crazy things cars do. I need them to give me perspective at times. You and I are no different in this need. The differing vantage point of another is often the one vantage point we don't consider for ourselves when faced with the challenges in our character, choices, or circumstances.

All God ever asks of us is to get up and start running. He takes care of the rest. He beckons us onward. He prepares the path. We will find we need the encouragement of a few "coaches" along the way. Even the best prepared athlete did not get their on their own. They needed the benefit of others showing them how it is done. Don't be afraid to "get real" with another. Being a little too "perfect" in your "package" is not going to endear you to anyone. Being willing to be "real" is what connects you to another. Just sayin!