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Help all the time, not just once a year
pastor corner

Once again, the holiday season has arrived. It seems that most everyone has a soft spot in their heart for their fellow man. There will be toy drives, food drives and clothing drives, all to help others. It is a great time of year. The care and love shown seems to make the world a better place — just for a few days. How great would it be if the attitude of a few weeks was seen all year long? If everyone would open their Bibles and truly follow the teachings in it, not just the verses they like, the world would be like those few weeks all year long.

Notice this passage, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:36-40). Love God and love your fellowman that is God’s idea of how all who claim to follow Him should live their lives.

God does not want man to just think of him once or twice a year. He desires man to think of him each and every day; putting him first in his life so that he can be the best Christian and best human possible (Matthew 6:33). By inspiration, the Apostle Paul wrote concerning this type of attitude God wants men to have toward each other. “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4).

Opportunities to help one’s fellow man come often, but many times, those occasions are overlooked. It may be because of selfishness, looking on one’s own things and not the things of others. Many are so busy trying to make their way in life that they forget that God has given them many blessings which enable them to do the things they deem necessary to make it in life. The history of the church in its beginning shows how Christians ought to act toward one another. The early Christians obeyed the gospel of Christ, and then began to care for each other.

“And all that believed were together, and had all things common” (Acts 2:44). “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common” (Acts 4:32). While the world may only see and feel the need to look to God and their fellow man only on occasion, children of God should and must keep this spirit of caring each and every day.

Failing to help one’s fellow man may come from being “burned” by someone. The world is an evil place; it has been since before the time of the flood, so one must use some caution. However, to never even think about helping one’s fellow man who is down and out shows a lack of care. In the account of the “good Samaritan,” the Bible shows how some who claimed to be religious did not even investigate the situation, while a man who was thought to be no better than a mongrel dog stopped and rendered assistance to one in need (Luke 10:25–37). A person should be safe in helping someone, but just because there are those who take advantage of others should not stop one from fulfilling Christ’s words.

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