1 Chronicles 19:1-5
Some time later, King Nahash of Ammon died, and his son Hanun became king. David said, "Nahash was kind to me, so I will be kind to his son." He sent some officials to Ammon to tell Hanun how sorry he was that his father had died.
But when David's officials arrived at Ammon, the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun, "Do you really believe King David is honoring your father by sending these men to comfort you? He probably sent them to spy on our country, so he can come and destroy it."
Hanun arrested David's officials and had their beards shaved off and their robes cut off just below the waist, and then he sent them away. They were terribly ashamed. When David found out what had happened to his officials, he sent a message that told them, "Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back. Then you can come home.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In previous devotionals, I’ve cited the adage that “People don’t care what you know, until they know that you care.” And honestly, sometimes all we need is to know that someone else cares about us. In this instance, David was doing the right thing, but people questioned his motives. And that will happen… especially if you are not in the business of genuinely caring for others on a regular basis. We’ve probably all had someone do something nice for us at one time or another and wondered, “Why did that happen? What did he/she really want?”
The bottom line is that God calls us to genuinely care for others… to love them as He loves us. David demonstrated this… not only in sending officials to express his sympathy, but also in allowing those officials to stay away until their time of shame had ended and their beards had grown back. He not only showed great concern for his own men… but also for others.
I can see where the Ammonites might have thought David had selfish motives. After all, didn’t a king have more important things to think about than the grief of someone else? And don’t we have plenty to occupy our time and our thoughts? Do we really have time to think about the troubles and needs of others? The answer lies in another question… “How much do you want to serve and honor God and your commitment to Him?”
If you truly are God’s disciple and desire to serve Him with honor and glory, then you will find plenty of time to show love and concern to others for their needs. If you are “in it for yourself,” the outcome will be totally different… and any demonstration of concern may seem suspicious.
I challenge you to consider how you show your love for God by loving others. I suggest that you try to reach out to at least one person every day. You can write a note or mail a card… make a phone call or send an e-mail… visit someone… offer to run an errand or cook a meal… babysit or pet sit… send a gift or a flower…offer up a prayer… or simply and ask someone, “How are you today?” – and mean it! The end result must be that someone knows that you are thinking of them and genuinely care about their well-being.
You can choose family members and close friends… but why not expand your circle to include a church member, a classmate, or someone you haven’t been in contact with for a while. We find it easy to care about those in our immediate circle… and we do a fairly good job of showing our love and concern. But what if we broadened our horizons a little bit and reached out to those with whom we are not quite so close or don’t know as well?
I know this won’t be easy for many of us… especially not at first. But as we make it a daily habit and ask God to guide us, we will find that it gets easier… and more rewarding for everyone. People truly don’t care what we know until they know that we care. Who knows that you care… and who else needs to hear from you?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label concern. Show all posts
Showing posts with label concern. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for August 27, 2010
Galatians 1:10
I am not trying to please people. I want to please God. Do you think I am trying to please people? If I were doing that, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Probably every single one of us has heard our mom say, “If So-and-So told you to jump off a cliff, would you do it?” in response to something we said or did “…because So-and-So said/did it.” We are driven by what others think much of the time. So we see a couple going through a divorce, and we think, “Oh, well… lots of people get divorced.” We hear that someone’s mother or father or another family member or friend passed away, and we think, “That’s too bad, but it happens every day.”
We hear that our friend didn’t make the cheer squad and we think, “Too bad, but there were only so many slots available.” We see someone who is dirty or smells bad, and we either think, “That’s not my problem,” or we turn and look the other way and pretend we didn’t notice.
We assume that because many elderly people in the nursing home are out of their mind and so sick and decrepit that they wouldn’t even know if we came to visit, much less be able to sit and talk with us. We take a look at someone who goes into the ER and is disheveled and acting erratically and supposedly in serious pain, and we think … “That person is probably on drugs and wanting more narcotics or a ‘quick fix’.” We drive right past the homeless people on the street or cut a wide berth for the dirty person in the aisle at the grocery store and pretend we didn’t see them … much less acknowledge they might have a need we can meet.
You don’t have to address what you don’t acknowledge… and the world says, “You don’t have to concern yourself with these people and situations … they are not your problem.”
The truth is that, while they are not literally our problem, as disciples of Christ, any person who is suffering or in need requires our attention on some level. We cannot turn and look the other way. We can’t pretend we are too busy, or the person is too crazy, or the situation is simply too unpleasant for us to handle. If we are going to be the hands and feet of Jesus, we have to act like it!
This doesn’t mean we have to become 100% involved and engrossed in the person’s problems. But we have to show compassion. We have to care that others are going through a divorce and offer to pray for them. We have to care when someone doesn’t make the team or the cheer squad and be kind and sympathetic toward them … listen if they need to talk, and encourage them to try again or to try out for something else. We have to visit those who are grieving, send cards, and yes – attend a few funerals.
We have to support missions for homeless people and smile kindly at others in the stores and on the streets, regardless of how they look or smell. We have to stop passing judgment based on appearances. We have to stop calling people names and discriminating against them. I don’t care if Sam does act like an idiot… we do not call him that to his face – or behind his back. I don’t care of Sue is wealthy and can afford “help” in a crisis … we must still offer ours, as well. Mr. Joe may very well be old and grumpy and can barely get around … but he still deserves our kindness.
Do you see what I mean by this? Our “world” – and the devil – has told us that it’s all about us, and we don’t have to concern ourselves with others. Jesus died on the cross for us. The other guy is on his own. But this is not entirely true. Yes, Jesus died on the cross for us … but He died for the other guy, too. And… he taught us that we are to love others as we love ourselves … and that’s not always a popular stand.
We have to stop caring what others think, because their ways are not always God’s ways. We have to be sure that our thoughts and our actions line up with the word of God and the teachings of Jesus. We can’t talk one way and walk another. How are your words and deeds lining up these days? Who are you pleasing… and to whom are you listening?
©2010 Debbie Robus
I am not trying to please people. I want to please God. Do you think I am trying to please people? If I were doing that, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Probably every single one of us has heard our mom say, “If So-and-So told you to jump off a cliff, would you do it?” in response to something we said or did “…because So-and-So said/did it.” We are driven by what others think much of the time. So we see a couple going through a divorce, and we think, “Oh, well… lots of people get divorced.” We hear that someone’s mother or father or another family member or friend passed away, and we think, “That’s too bad, but it happens every day.”
We hear that our friend didn’t make the cheer squad and we think, “Too bad, but there were only so many slots available.” We see someone who is dirty or smells bad, and we either think, “That’s not my problem,” or we turn and look the other way and pretend we didn’t notice.
We assume that because many elderly people in the nursing home are out of their mind and so sick and decrepit that they wouldn’t even know if we came to visit, much less be able to sit and talk with us. We take a look at someone who goes into the ER and is disheveled and acting erratically and supposedly in serious pain, and we think … “That person is probably on drugs and wanting more narcotics or a ‘quick fix’.” We drive right past the homeless people on the street or cut a wide berth for the dirty person in the aisle at the grocery store and pretend we didn’t see them … much less acknowledge they might have a need we can meet.
You don’t have to address what you don’t acknowledge… and the world says, “You don’t have to concern yourself with these people and situations … they are not your problem.”
The truth is that, while they are not literally our problem, as disciples of Christ, any person who is suffering or in need requires our attention on some level. We cannot turn and look the other way. We can’t pretend we are too busy, or the person is too crazy, or the situation is simply too unpleasant for us to handle. If we are going to be the hands and feet of Jesus, we have to act like it!
This doesn’t mean we have to become 100% involved and engrossed in the person’s problems. But we have to show compassion. We have to care that others are going through a divorce and offer to pray for them. We have to care when someone doesn’t make the team or the cheer squad and be kind and sympathetic toward them … listen if they need to talk, and encourage them to try again or to try out for something else. We have to visit those who are grieving, send cards, and yes – attend a few funerals.
We have to support missions for homeless people and smile kindly at others in the stores and on the streets, regardless of how they look or smell. We have to stop passing judgment based on appearances. We have to stop calling people names and discriminating against them. I don’t care if Sam does act like an idiot… we do not call him that to his face – or behind his back. I don’t care of Sue is wealthy and can afford “help” in a crisis … we must still offer ours, as well. Mr. Joe may very well be old and grumpy and can barely get around … but he still deserves our kindness.
Do you see what I mean by this? Our “world” – and the devil – has told us that it’s all about us, and we don’t have to concern ourselves with others. Jesus died on the cross for us. The other guy is on his own. But this is not entirely true. Yes, Jesus died on the cross for us … but He died for the other guy, too. And… he taught us that we are to love others as we love ourselves … and that’s not always a popular stand.
We have to stop caring what others think, because their ways are not always God’s ways. We have to be sure that our thoughts and our actions line up with the word of God and the teachings of Jesus. We can’t talk one way and walk another. How are your words and deeds lining up these days? Who are you pleasing… and to whom are you listening?
©2010 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for August 15, 2010
2 Corinthians 1:4
He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share that same comfort with others in trouble.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
One day a young teacher made a comment in the teacher’s lounge about her baby girl. I don’t know what I said to her, but I tried to commiserate, and she wheeled sharply around and said, “Until you have a baby, you couldn’t possibly understand.” It was a cutting, unkind remark, and others in the room were astounded. And for the record, giving birth does not make a woman a mother – and plenty of “dads” never fathered a child.
But this story does have a point. Often, when we minister to people, they don’t believe we fully understand their situation unless we have similar experience upon which to draw. I believe this is why God allows us to endure troubles and tribulations – with His help and comfort, of course. God has used some of the most devastating and difficult experiences of my life to equip me to minister to others who were going through similar circumstances.
I do not say this to brag. I wish I never had to know the sadness and grief of losing my father-in-law, brother, and my own dad … grandparents, cousins and other family members and friends. I wish we had never had to bury our beloved pets. I wish my fellow teacher had not been strangled to death at the hands of her abusive husband. I wish I had never had surgery or a broken bone. I wish I had never had to attend the funeral of a student or watched a loved one succumb to dementia or Alzheimer’s. And yet, these things pale in comparison to what many of you and others have endured.
But because God carried me through all of these situations, when I speak to someone in need or send a card of encouragement, I can assure them with firsthand knowledge that He is with them. They know that I speak from experience, so my words are not merely lip service or “the right thing to say.” I believe that God’s comfort in my own troubles has enabled me to comfort others without saying or doing something stupid … well, most of the time! My experience has taught me how to genuinely share God’s love and peace with others.
Experience bases come with age, and you may feel that you are young and don’t have anything to contribute to others to offer them comfort. And certainly those who are older than I am have a larger experience base from which to draw. But each of us has a unique, God-given perspective on troubles of one kind or another. When we see someone going through a similar situation, we should reach out to that person and let them know that we understand … and share how God helped us through it.
And the next time you start to ask, “LORD, why is this happening to me?” consider this … maybe God is equipping you for ministry to others. I would like to think that something positive could come out of our troubles, wouldn’t you? Every time I share God’s comfort with someone, I feel a little of the pain and sorrow of my own situations lighten a bit. See, God continues to comfort me as He uses me to minister to others. He wants to do this for you, as well. Who will you comfort today? Look around and see needs that you can help to meet in the name of Jesus. Share your comfort with others, and receive a double blessing.
©2010 Debbie Robus
He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share that same comfort with others in trouble.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
One day a young teacher made a comment in the teacher’s lounge about her baby girl. I don’t know what I said to her, but I tried to commiserate, and she wheeled sharply around and said, “Until you have a baby, you couldn’t possibly understand.” It was a cutting, unkind remark, and others in the room were astounded. And for the record, giving birth does not make a woman a mother – and plenty of “dads” never fathered a child.
But this story does have a point. Often, when we minister to people, they don’t believe we fully understand their situation unless we have similar experience upon which to draw. I believe this is why God allows us to endure troubles and tribulations – with His help and comfort, of course. God has used some of the most devastating and difficult experiences of my life to equip me to minister to others who were going through similar circumstances.
I do not say this to brag. I wish I never had to know the sadness and grief of losing my father-in-law, brother, and my own dad … grandparents, cousins and other family members and friends. I wish we had never had to bury our beloved pets. I wish my fellow teacher had not been strangled to death at the hands of her abusive husband. I wish I had never had surgery or a broken bone. I wish I had never had to attend the funeral of a student or watched a loved one succumb to dementia or Alzheimer’s. And yet, these things pale in comparison to what many of you and others have endured.
But because God carried me through all of these situations, when I speak to someone in need or send a card of encouragement, I can assure them with firsthand knowledge that He is with them. They know that I speak from experience, so my words are not merely lip service or “the right thing to say.” I believe that God’s comfort in my own troubles has enabled me to comfort others without saying or doing something stupid … well, most of the time! My experience has taught me how to genuinely share God’s love and peace with others.
Experience bases come with age, and you may feel that you are young and don’t have anything to contribute to others to offer them comfort. And certainly those who are older than I am have a larger experience base from which to draw. But each of us has a unique, God-given perspective on troubles of one kind or another. When we see someone going through a similar situation, we should reach out to that person and let them know that we understand … and share how God helped us through it.
And the next time you start to ask, “LORD, why is this happening to me?” consider this … maybe God is equipping you for ministry to others. I would like to think that something positive could come out of our troubles, wouldn’t you? Every time I share God’s comfort with someone, I feel a little of the pain and sorrow of my own situations lighten a bit. See, God continues to comfort me as He uses me to minister to others. He wants to do this for you, as well. Who will you comfort today? Look around and see needs that you can help to meet in the name of Jesus. Share your comfort with others, and receive a double blessing.
©2010 Debbie Robus
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