Being the Hands and Feet of Christ

In Christian circles, we often talk about being the hands and feet of Christ to all those we meet. In this post I would like to talk about what that means to me and what it looks like in action.

To me, it means giving of yourself - time, talents, gifts - to help others, to the best of your ability. It means reflecting the character of Christ in every circumstance, with everyone you meet, which would be Godly love, because I believe that Christ is the manifestation of that love to us. If you are not sure what that kind of love looks like, please read 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 or sign up in the contact me section below, and I will send you a downloadable copy of God's love.

You may be called to reach many people, like my friends at THORN ministries who have been feeding, clothing, and praying for the homeless each week for over 25 years. You may be called to be kind to your family, your neighbor, the annoying person in line in the grocery store, or maybe to just smile a someone or say something nice to someone who looks like they need it. But whatever the call, as a Christ follower, you are to love God and love each other. Two of the exciting benefits of realizing that you (as we all) are a sinner, repent of your sins and ask Jesus to forgive you and to be your Savior, He forgives you and sends the Holy Spirit to reside within you. The Holy Spirit will then work in you and through you to draw you and others into a closer relationship with God.

Here are a few examples: When John went to Africa, he was 300 miles in the bush and responsible for the infirmary. The problem was that there were no supplies with which he could help the people. It was there that he learned that his job was to show up, and when he did, the Holy Spirit did the work that God wanted accomplished. He saw and experienced many miracles while he was in Africa. (see my Nov. 1st post on John's pages concerning his healing testimony). John carried the Holy Spirit to the people.

When I had my business in the mall, and some people encouraged me to sell the store because I sold lottery tickets, John said, "Don't sell the store. God put you in that position and you may be the only Jesus that your customers see." I did my best to embrace and reflect that in my daily walk at work. When the mall closed, nine years later, God showed me the impact that He had had on at least one of my customers through me. One of my customers told me, "Do you know why I have been coming here everyday for nine years?" When I asked why, he said, "Because you are the only person who would smile at me, or touch my hand, give me a hug, or pray for me when I needed it." Wow! I had no idea. I was just showing up to work each day and unbeknownst to me, God was doing a mighty work. Praise the Lord!

When John died, all my neighbors reached out to help set up the yard for the luncheon after the funeral and were there to help me in any capacity that I needed. They exhibited God's love for me. I also get consistent help and support from my family, friends and neighbors who are in it for the long haul to show me how much God cares. And recently, I received unexpected help from strangers. One lady saw that it was difficult for me to take the recycle bin to the street, so she stopped, turned her car around and asked if I needed any help. Of course I said, "Yes." and she came to my assistance. Each time I go to a store and something is out of reach for me, someone comes along and offers to get it for me. Each one of the people that has reached out to me has encouraged me and lifted me up during this very challenging season of my life. I thank God for and pray blessings over each and every one.

I share these events with you, to encourage you to look for even the smallest way that you can provide a kindness to another. You never know the impact it will have on the person in need. You will never know how God will touch those you help by your obedience to love.

In Matthew 25:40, "The King will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me." In 1 Peter 4:10, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms."

And finally, a quote from Saint Teresa of Avila: "Christ has no body but yours; no hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which His compassion looks out upon the world. Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good. Yours are the hands with which He blesses all the world."

Prayer is Powerful continued

As I was sharing about this subject with a friend, I remembered a song that really encouraged me to never give up in my prayer life. The song is the testimony of Helen Baylor. She had been addicted to drugs and as she sang her story, a few times she sang the line, "but I had a praying grandmother". Listening to her dramatic deliverance from drugs, I was encouraged to emulate her "praying grandmother" in my prayers for all those for whom I pray. In last week's post, the other examples were John's grandfather and John. The message is the same. Never give up praying. Don't look at the circumstances, just trust that the Lord is working on answering your prayers. Your fervent prayers in Jesus' name are powerful.

Here is the video of her testimony.

"After Helen's deliverance, her grandmother asked her to sing a song for her the next time Helen came to her church. Here it is: "If the Lord had not been on my side".

It reminded me of something my mother always said if we saw someone in dire straits. "There but for the grace of God, go I."

Washing Dishes and Life

I was washing the dishes one night and I remembered that when I was in eighth grade, I took a home economics class. We learned the proper way to set a table and how to wash dishes. This is something probably few people think about now because many of us have a dishwasher. The proper way to wash the dishes is to wash the least dirty/greasy things first, like glasses and silverware, then the dishes and then the pots and pans. If we did it in reverse, then the water would be too dirty/greasy to wash the glasses well.

As I thought about the proper way of washing dishes, I started thinking about our lives. We can live our lives according to our own understanding and oftentimes accomplish much. Sometimes this includes living a life of stress, confusion, and drama. But is this the most efficient and effective way of living our lives?

Let's look at what the author of all creation has to say about this. Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." God has great plans for each of us, but how do we find out what that is? Read the Bible. It is full of instructions about how to live your best life. For example, Proverbs has 31 chapters, one for each day, and is filled with guidance. And you will find more throughout the Bible.

Jesus said in John 16:7 and John 14:26. that after He went away, He would send the Holy Spirit to teach us all things. The Holy Spirit has been described as our Helper, our Counselor, our Comfort, our Guide, one who will lead us in all the truth. So if we want to know the most efficient, effective way to live our lives, before reading and meditating on the Scriptures you read, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal His truth to you for your life. As you meditate and listen, He will lead you and guide you in the way you should go.

As I was thinking about instructions, I thought that most of us resist reading the instructions. Think about the times you purchased something that needed to be assembled - a toy, a bookcase, etc. Many of us just take the parts out of the box and start assembling. This works sometimes, and other times we finish the project and realize that we have extra pieces left over or the item was not put together correctly, so we decide to read the directions and start over so that we can get it right.

Many of us go through life like that also. Muddling through, doing the best that we can until one day we realize that there must be a better way. That's the day we turn to the Lord to ask His help. Fortunately for us, He is always there, ready and willing to help. As I said in last week's post. When the student is ready, the teacher appears.

Are you ready to read the instructions, listen for guidance in order to live your best life? I hope so. God bless your efforts and give you understanding.