To many, it’s a badge of honor to help those in need. I actually cringed this week as I witnessed this scenario. It was heart-breaking, not inspiring. You probably are wondering why it was so. The answer, unfortunately, is not descriptive of this isolated incident but defining of a large percentage of help related endeavors. Simply worded, many offer help because they believe the recipient is so “different” from themselves and not because the one in need is the “same” as they.
Neither feeling sorry for someone the world judges as lowly or down and out, nor thinking of yourself as privileged and called upon to bestow your good works upon those you pity and hold less fortunate than you, should be one’s motivation to extend a helping hand. We shouldn’t offer help because the one in need is “different” from us. Our motivation should be to help because we are the “same”. Both the giver and the receiver are a child of God — equally loved by our Father in heaven.
Maybe the world would be more Christ-like if we started seeing Christ in others and not just our privileged selves. Help others because we share the bond of Christ’s forgiveness, redemption and promises. Let’s stop reaching down to help a stranger in need. Let’s start reaching out to help one we recognize is, like us, God’s son or daughter.
Uplifted in a Broken Down World 