I just returned from a two week trip to Les Cayes, Haiti. Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and rightly so. It has so many problems: economical collapse, governmental corruption, poor health conditions, very bad roads, little electricity, no real sewers, huge trash dilemma, contaminated drinking water and very high unemployment. Where do you start? At first, the problems seem so overwhelming that one might get discouraged trying to help. About two years ago, my church, Envision Life Center came across a Haitian family in our town that moved to America 12 years prior. Marie, the mother of this family has a brother still living in Les Cayes and he pastors a church there. Pastor Enoch, Marie’s brother, had a dream from God that he would receive help to build a church for his congregation and it would be a house of hope for the community! Two years ago, God began to stir in our hearts to help meet his need. Last year we took a team of 11 people to complete phase 1 of the building project and two weeks ago, we took a team of 25 people to start phase 2 of the building campaign! So much work has been done on the new church building that it has brought great hope to this congregation and Pastor Enoch not to mention the entire community. Our church saw a need that came across our path and we met it! The Good Samaritan story in the Bible is a great example of this principle!
Luke 10:30-37 (NASB)
“Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same.’”
The first two religious people past by the man that had been robbed and beaten and left for dead and did not stop to even help! Maybe they were in a hurry to get somewhere or it was too big of an inconvenience to lend a hand? I can see it now; they made some religious excuse not to help so that their consciences were callused from feeling guilty. But the Good Samaritan stopped, bandaged the man’s wounds and put him up in an inn until he was well, even though he was on his way somewhere. The Good Samaritan also paid for all the wounded man’s expenses! The Samaritan saw a need, had compassion on the individual that was hurt and met it! Jesus said that we are to go do the same as this man!
Are there people in your world that God is asking you to help meet their needs? Are you trying to make excuses why you cannot help them out? My prayer is that you ask God to open your eyes to see the people in your life that He wants you to help. Many times these opportunities come at an inconvenient time.
God put on my heart to help Pastor Enoch build a church and I had just lost my job and everything I owned. Instead of making excuses, I asked God to help me trust Him to make provision for the things He was asking me to do. Not only did I raise the amount of money needed to go on the trip, but I was able to lead 25 others as well. My whole world has changed because I decided to step out and trust God in an inconvenient time of my life. Could God be asking the same of you? Don’t make excuses…trust God and watch Him do a miracle in your life. Just think of all the people God wants to help through your very hands? I believe we pass up so many opportunities because we just don’t see things from God’s perspective. Don’t get discouraged over past opportunities you walked by. Ask God to forgive you and help you recognize His plan even in difficult times. Jesus was selfless and He wants us to be the same way. When you see a need, fill it…give your life away! It truly is the most rewarding way to live…a life serving others!
