A verse that really struck me as I was wrapping up
my semester was Matthew 25:35 & 26.
One of the writers in my book talked about the different types of people
we come across, and I find that this is good to apply to both others and
ourselves:
For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat…
I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink…
I was a stranger and you invited me in…
I needed clothes and you clothed me…
I was sick and you looked after me…
I was in prison, and you came to visit me…
This is Jesus talking to his disciples, but did you ever
stop to think about these descriptions and see how they applied to those around
us… or even at times how we can be like that?
It is not just a physical ailment that is being cured, but often times
it is a psychological or spiritual situation that is being cured as well.
Hungry: Have you ever
met someone that is hungry? They are desperate
and they are willing to take anything.
Usually there is very little discrimination in their mind and they can
be very demanding. Whether it is food,
finances, relationships, the hungry person is okay with taking what they can to
satisfy the need and usually are okay with doing whatever is necessary to get
that need satisfied.
How do we help these types of people? Teach them how to fish. Rather than giving the person the fish all
the time and keeping them in a position where they are waiting for something to
come their way consistently or sporadically, teaching them the proper skills to
survive will be something that is life changing, not just moment changing.
Thirsty: Much like
the hungry person, the thirsty person has a distinct need that they want
satisfied. Deep down, what they really
want is water and that is the one thing they want. They are a little more difficult since they
will discriminate.
How do we help? Help
them find clean water. If you put the
wrong type of water in your system, you can get sick. If you try to drink soda your entire life,
there will be a time where you just crave water. Having the right amount of clean water does
wonders, so knowing where to get it and when to drink it is crucial.
Stranger: Have you
ever walked into a room and felt like nobody understands you? You might crack a
joke that will make one room erupt, but when you crack the same joke, the
people are staring at you waiting for you to mercifully be quiet. The problem is that no one takes the time to
get to know you. This is a growing
problem in society with the advent of texting, Facebook, mega-churches, online
schools, and other situations that keep personal contact at an arms
length.
How do we combat that?
Get to know the person and be open-minded about what they have to
say. When someone is no longer a
stranger, it can easier to find that they are not THAT strange. Even if they are, it helps to understand them
and why they act the way that they do. The
truth is that too often we have reduced relationship to a simple “hello, how
are you?” without expecting a response.
We have to change that.
Naked: Can you
remember a time where you felt exposed?
It is a very uncomfortable feeling and often times it silences you to
the point that your shame keeps you from mentioning it so that you can be
clothed. People that feel naked feel
isolated. Personally, I found myself
around a lot of people that felt the need to critique my every false move, and
it made me feel naked. It stopped me
from doing a lot of things because honestly, who wants to do something when
people are laughing at being exposed?
How do we cloth the naked?
Being willing to step out and help them.
If it is something embarrassing, ease the tension and try not to make a
big deal out of it. Helping them
overcome their fear of being naked is key as well. Whether it is coaching them or making light
of the situation, helping someone overcome their fear of exposure is an
empowering feeling that can open up new horizons for them.
Sick: Most of the
people who are sick are focused on one thing: their sickness and getting rid of
it. They need supervision and care, and
oftentimes they try to get better on their own rather than submitting to help. When we are sick spiritual, it can be the
same way. We do are best to try and
solve the problem on our own and continue to be sick without the support of
others.
How do we help them heal?
Love them as much as you love yourself and being patient with them,
because sick people can be messy. Help
direct them to the right people, the right resources, or whatever it is that
can help them get healthy again.
Prisoners: Prisoners
are tough to reach because they live in a world of locked doors, little light,
heavy restrictions, and constant harassment.
To understand and reach the prisoner, one has to know what it is like to
be in that prison. The prisoner is
usually short of trust, hope, and joy.
How do we free the prisoner?
Being able to humble yourself, finding ways to be honest and building
trust is needed. Not everyone has been
in their prison, but if you have, being able to share your experiences and how
you got out of it is extremely helpful. Remember,
not every prisoner wants to be free… because they are familiar with their
cell. It provides security. This is why we have to provide hope for a
better life away from the spiritual prison, because what we know might be
familiar, but it might not be what is best.
At this point you might be wondering, “Wow Jason, this seems
like a lot of work, why would I want to do this?” Because Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, “what
every you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you
did for me.” So when we are helping
these individuals who have serious needs, we are not only doing it for Jesus,
but we are helping Jesus.
Sometimes that means that we go to places that we said that
we would never let ourselves go to.
Other times, we will go places that we think that we may never return
from. But remember, that is the enemy
speaking to you. He fears what we can
do, and if he can discourage us from that, he will try to do that. Satan may tell you that you are ill equipped,
but I know that we are never ill equipped to love someone. God will provide the words as well, so don’t
fear not having the right words.
In closing, remember that what we do for the least of our
brothers and sisters we do for Jesus. This is a great way to model Jesus to others, so
lets do it with excellence.
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