We all go through moments when we are down and we aren’t sure if we have what it takes to make it through. What’s interesting is that, right then, we don’t need bags of money or anything fancy and outrageous. We just need somebody to notice us, even if all that happens is someone simply asking, “Are you OK?” How difficult it becomes when that doesn’t happen.
As I reflect on the journey of life , it has begun to dawn on me how awesome the power of helping others really is and what a difference it can make. Let me qualify this by saying two things: firstly, that I am not talking about a pitiful, dismissive dishing out of resources that perpetuates a vicious cycle of neediness but a genuine, heartfelt investment in another person’s life – a need, a dream or a gift. Secondly, I don’t limit help simply to the financial kind but also helping by giving time, energy, care, expertise and so many other things that can’t be quantified like money. Helping is a powerful thing and, interestingly, more often than not the one who helps tends to forget this action because they see it as small. But the one who receives help (if they are sincere and grateful) can never forget because that help came at a time when they were weak and even desperate. How powerful is the hand that helps!
In my own life, I have received so much help. It’d be dangerous to even try to start naming the people who have helped me, in one way or another, to grow and become a better person. In gratitude for this, shouldn’t I at the very least make a decision today to become a person whose life is poured out to help others also? Particularly seeing as we live in a world where we are pushed to live as selfishly as possible and do only what feels good and is comfortable for self. In today’s world, it’s really all about ‘me, me, me’ (or other variations of it like ‘me, myself and I’).
I observe more and more that the world’s most powerful communities and nations are those that have, as their way of life, a culture of helping one another and helping others. The opposite applies: the weakest communities and nations seem not to see the value of helping one another and others. Rather, they see themselves only as receivers of help. But I should probably emphasize again that I’m not talking about a pointless handout of resources but smart, well thought-out investment.
Make a determination to be a person who helps others and don’t take lightly the things you have at your disposal that could mean a world of good to somebody else. Remember that it’s not just about money. Your smile can help someone to get through a difficult and thorny patch.
We must also remember that God has promised to be there to help us, both in the good times and the bad. In the Bible, he is referred to as “a very present help in times of need”. If you would like to know more about how God can be a source of help and encouragement for you and others, please click on the banner below.