So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone— especially to those in the family of faith.
Galatians 6:9–10 (NLT)
My oldest daughter heard a news report about refugees and asked me about it. I shared with her what I knew, then we looked up more information. We talked about how hard it must be to leave your home and travel to an unfamiliar place, and I reminded her that God commands us to help others. That’s when my younger daughter—who happened to be in the room and apparently was all ears—chimed in.
“Mommy! We need to help them! What can we do? I want to help!”
Immediately, my eyes filled with tears, and my heart grew about three sizes. I was so proud of my little girl and moved by her generous heart. But it wasn’t long before I also felt myself sighing deeply. How could we help? I didn’t know! What I did know was that figuring out how to answer her was going to take time.
I hugged my daughter and told her how happy I was that she wanted to help. I promised to find out how our family could help “the people who left their countries,” as she called them.
My experience in working for nonprofit organizations and ministries had taught me that not all help is actually helpful. I’d learned that sometimes helping hurts, and I didn’t want to be part of that. I also didn’t want to simply throw money at a problem (though as a former fundraiser, I know how crucial financial contributions are). I wanted to find a tangible way for my family to help someone in need, something we could do that would truly make a difference in the life of another. But it turned out that was easier said than done!
I googled and made phone calls and sent emails and asked friends on Facebook. How can we help? And every day when she got off the school bus, my little girl asked if I’d found an answer yet. I told her I was waiting for someone to email me back and that I would do another internet search. I told her I was trying.
And I was. I wanted to help too! But I also had a full calendar and a long to-do list, and I was starting to feel a little less warm and fuzzy every time my daughter asked me again how we could help. So I began shrugging off her (and my) desire to do good. Coming up with a plan to help got pushed to the edge of my proverbial plate, and for days at a time I completely forgot about it. Then my daughter brought it up again.
How can we help? Did that lady email you back? What can we do?
Instead of rolling my eyes and sighing in frustration (which I may have been tempted to do), I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath in and breathed out God’s name. In that moment I was asking for patience and motivation and guidance. I was asking Him to give me the desire to do good for my daughter and, with her, to do good for others.
Finally, I was spurred back into action. Giving up on the organizations I’d emailed to offer help (who, strangely enough, never did respond), I widened my search and asked another group of friends for ideas. Before I knew it, I had a long list of ways we could help others in our community — plenty of ideas to keep us busy doing good all year long!
Doing good isn’t always easy or convenient. We can’t always figure out a simple answer to the world’s complicated problems. And sometimes feeling too busy or too tired saps our energy for adding one more thing to our list. But God doesn’t ask us to do anything He won’t make possible. So when doing good feels impossible, it’s time to ask God to give us the desire to help, the wisdom to choose how best to help, and the time and energy to make it happen. We ask Him to work in our hearts so we don’t get tired of doing good.
Out of obedience and an overflow of God’s goodness to us, we press on to goodness. He loves us, so we love others. He helps us, so we help others.
Lord, thank You for inviting me into the good works You have prepared for me to do. Please give me the desire to do good and the follow-through to keep at it. Use me to show others how much You love them, and may they see You through me. Amen.
This article was written by Mary Carver, as published in Empowered: More of Him for All of You.
Empowered: More of Him for All of You, by Mary Carver, Grace P. Cho, and Anna E. Rendell is designed to incorporate the five major components of our being — physical, mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual. The sixty Scripture passages and devotions invite you to see from different angles how God empowers us, and each day ends with prayer and reflection questions to deepen the learning. Grab a copy now. We pray it blesses you.
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“God loves us so we love others. God helps us so we help others.” Such a simple, straight forward truth yet we take a simple addition equation & turn it into a calculus equation. Lord forgive us! Thank you, Mary for this account & application of not being weary of doing as we are instructed! Blessings!
God loves us all so much. We can reach out to help others and show his Love to throw us. Like me with my elderly Dad. God has put on my heart to go every day and so house hold jobs for him that he can’t do. Plus walk his dog. My Dad not saved. But I do wonder why God asked me to help my Dad like this. I do get tired and which I had whole day of to myself that I didn’t have to help my Dad at all. Even though I only go my Dad to what I do for him for few hours each day. Plus twice a day except Sundays afternoon and walk his dog. I do get frustrated at the mess my Dad gets his house in at times. After the day before I left it nice and tidy. I say to myself Dad how could you get it so messy again after I left it nice and tidy yeasterday. Some days the mess worse than others. See my Dad does not see he makes the mess he makes. God said to me through a person not saved you be thankful you can do what you do for your elderly Dad. As many a person all over the word never knew their Dad and never will. Or lost their Dad at young age. That made me think. What that person said to me that day was so true. Then say to myself Dawn be thankful you still have your Dad. When others don’t for what ever reason and some never knew their Dad. So I stop feeling that way. I go now saying I doing my Dad’s for the Love of the Lord and the Love of my Dad. I am glad and thankful on to God I still have my Dad and able to do all I do for him. Even if he makes a bigger mess some days than others. As one day I not have my Dad. I pray for his Salvation. So now I don’t say I wish I whole day of not having to go to my Dad’s I just do it even if I did tire of doing it. Because some days he made bigger messes than other. After me leaving it tidy the day before. I thankful God gives me the energy to do it. Plus thankful I can do it. I know this my way of helping someone. Plus praying for other world wide. Also me and my Husband set up direct debit for other Christian Charitys like World Share that help people and kids in counties like the Philippines and Pakistan. We know the money we give goes help get kids to school and help Adults in any way they can. When the kids get to school they will get most of them one meal a day. As most of them don’t get anything when get home. Plus clean water as well. Most of all hearing about the Love of God and teaching them all about Jesus. Which is amazing. One family in England. To we boys. Wanted to raise money for people and kids like this throw World Share. So they decided theses two we boys both brothers made Christmas cards. In packs of 5. Sold them gave the money to World Share. So I thought that was lovely even that they wanted to do help people and kids in other countries in the world through World Share. Most kids would even think of wanting to help others in other parts of the world like your Daughter also Mary. I know God will bless theses two we boys for doing this plus your Daughter. To for wanting to help people less well of than themselves and raise money to help them too. My Dad always glad to see me. So all this in today reading spoke to me. To say Dawn be thankful you can do all you for others. Love Dawn Ferguson-Little in my prayers incourage. Love the reading and what I am learning from them. My God richly bless you all for the work you do. Xx
Mary,
“Doing good isn’t always easy or convenient.” AMEN & AMEN. I volunteer with Loaves & Fishes -food bank. Some days I don’t feel like going-just worked over 40 hrs. in 4 days tired. But I go & help out. I feel like I owe it to God for ALL He’s given & done for me. The satisfaction I get from talking with others & seeing the results of our efforts makes it worth it. One Friday we had 10 commitments to Christ. You never know how a smile, hug, handing out free food or a simple I’ll pray for you will do for someone.
Blessings 🙂