Put Your Hands Up
When it was a mum from kinder who said this, it took me by surprise.
Reference: “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one. (Ezekiel 22:30 NIV)
Explore: At a recent children’s birthday party I was having a great conversation with one of the mums. We’d completed the obligatory chatter about the weather and our children, but what she told me next took me by surprise.
In a couple of weeks she was heading overseas to help build houses in Cambodia. It was through a volunteer organisation her neighbour is involved with and she thought this was an incredible opportunity.
If I had have been talking to someone from church, I wouldn’t have been surprised by this conversation, but when it was a mum from kinder, it took me by surprise. She mentioned that she was looking at a volunteer website and there were pages and pages of opportunities. It just doesn’t seem to be in our culture to help others without a financial reward at the end.
Application: I remember when I was in ministry how hard it was to get people to serve on a team long term. There is always a need that requires someone to put their hand up for, it’s just that often people step back rather than stepping forward.
If I felt that with our small church needs, imagine how God feels when He sees all the needs in our world. And yet so few put their hands up.
And this is not a new thing. When the Israelites turned from God He couldn’t find one amongst them who would work for Him.
I think my parent’s generation was much better at putting their hands up. And yet, the work will never be complete. Let’s pray that every generation will have the heart to look out for each other.
Prayer: Lord, if we open our eyes we can see need every day. May we be the first to put our hands up. Whether it’s incidental or on a roster, may we have the heart to care and put others needs before ours. Amen.
What are some opportunities for volunteering that you are or can be involved in?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.