What Could I Possibly Do?

When you play a part in transforming someone else’s life you cannot help but have your own life transformed too.

Proverbs 28:1-28

Reference:  v.27  He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses. (NIV Bible)

Explore:  When you stand in the middle of a slum you can’t hide from the stench of decay that fills your nostrils, you can’t shake off the dust that shades everything into a dreary grey, and you can’t mistake the suffocating wave of hopelessness as a whole community struggles to make it to the end of another day.
Whether we see it on the TV, hear about it on the radio or read of it in the newspaper we are well aware that parts of our world live in poverty.  However, when the need is so overwhelming we are often left asking, “What could I possibly do?”
While making a personal contribution does help to alleviate the pain of those in developing countries, our impact can be multiplied when we work together as a whole church.

Application:  Over the last five years I have led a number of church mission teams to the Philippines through International Needs .  On these mission trips different churches have witnessed first hand the plight of those struggling to survive in poverty stricken areas.  But because this was experienced within a faith community there have been new plans put in place for longer-term, sustainable changes.   Feeding programs have been maintained; new child sponsorship programs have been created; international church partnerships have been established; and church worship instruments have been purchased.  There is nothing greater than seeing lives changed to fulfil the purpose they were meant to have.  And yet, none of this would have happened if we had have worked on a solo mission.  We’re not created to do these things on our own.
Through working as a team, each group was able to bring their first-hand experience back home to encourage their own faith community to help those in need in tangible and practical ways.  Every member of the church did not have to fly half way across the world to contribute to the need of others.  Through a small group experiencing life in a developing country, they were able to come home and facilitate the whole church to live out the call of Jesus and care for those in need.
When you play a part in transforming someone else’s life you cannot help but have your own life transformed too.

Prayer:  Lord, help us to work as a unified body to bring peace and wholeness to all people.  Amen.

Is there an extra way you can help support someone in need? Is there a church or organization that you can add your gifts and resources to?

Proverbs