Pam Padgett ... teacher
When I was working most people I worked with got very stirred up at Christmas
time to do good works by the flesh, of their own wisdom. There were meetings to try to find a family that they could "help". Money was collected and shopping done to "help" these people. Doing lots of activities to make their own flesh feel good about itself. As soon
as Christmas was over, nothing more was said or done until the next
year.
One day during this time, one of my neighbors told me she needed to have surgery on her hand. She
asked if I could take her to have the surgery done, and then
pick her up when she was ready to come home. It was no problem to do this, I could easily do it. I
also realized that it would be hard for her to cook since she would not
be able to use her hand for a while after having the surgery, so I took
food to her until she could again cook.
While helping this neighbor, it struck me how different this was from what I was seeing done at work. I wasn't looking to do a work to make my flesh feel good, but when this
neighbor came across my path needing help and I was able to provide what
she needed, I simply and quietly helped her. My eyes were opened (I believe by the Holy Spirit) to see even more than she asked so I offered that, taking food to her. Not limiting the help to such things as the holiday season, but helping according to what I was shown was needed. I believe this was right in the sight of God.
Jesus told a parable showing a man, a Samaritan, loving his neighbor as himself as we are to do ...
Luke 10:30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down
from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of
his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31
And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw
him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he
was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other
side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was:
and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and
bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own
beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the
morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the
host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest
more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto
him that fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on
him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
It causes me to marvel in God to consider how much better His ways are than the ways of the
flesh. When we are led by God, we don't go out to find a work
to do by our flesh. We go about our lives and when we hear from God to do something, or see a need we are able to help with, we do that.
When the work is of God for us, God provides a way to do the work. (For example, the Samaritan had what was needed to bind up the injured man's wounds, a beast to carry the man, and money to pay the host.) It is an easy yoke, not a hard yoke.
And the work fulfills what is truly needed in the situation, not just trying to satisfy our flesh for a time.