May 7, 2023
We’re at the grand finale of our message series: “What’s Next?” On the Christian journey, what are you supposed to do? What’s the next step? The first week was about knowing God. God wants to be your friend. We learned if you get devoted to God, he’ll come close to you. God wants a close relationship with you! The second week was about finding freedom. You may have habits you want to change. You CAN change, by spiritual transformation. It’s God through you. God-powered, not just will power. You need to get a spiritual why you want to change, and God can work miracles through you. The third week was about discovering your purpose. We learned about David who didn’t serve His purpose. Instead, he served God’s purpose. He served God and served people. As Christians we serve God’s purpose, which is to serve God and other people.
Today, the message is “Make a difference!”. Now that we know we are to serve God and people, what should we do? There’s a barrier. Sometimes we hesitate: do I want to get involved? Today we’ll find out why you want to get past that hesitation!
Let’s warm up to make a difference. Tell somebody near you, “You look great today!” That felt pretty good! You made a difference!
When I went to college, I studied Russian language. And I spent one semester in the Soviet Union, Russia, in the city of Leningrad. It was COLD! Leningrad is as far north as some parts of Alaska. There was a good amount of snow on the ground in the winter. My friend and fellow student, Noriko, and I were passing through a residential area in Leningrad one evening. There were apartments and a courtyard. A woman was lying on the ground in the snow. She called out to us, “Devochki moi! Pomogite mne!” That means, “My girls, help me!” There were Russians walking by, ignoring her. The woman was lying on the ground because she was very drunk. Noriko and I wondered, why isn’t anyone helping; what should we do? We thought we have to help her. We picked the woman up to standing, and she told us what apartment she belonged in. We helped her into the apartment building upstairs to the apartment. Noriko said, “Let’s ring the doorbell and run!” I thought we should make sure she got in, but Noriko wanted to flee! This was not my finest moment, but I said OK, and we rang the doorbell and ran!
Russia had a huge drinking problem! But why wouldn’t anyone help the woman in the snow? It’s probably the same reason we don’t help someone out: we don’t want to get involved. It’s the same reason you hesitate, you don’t know how the person will react. It wasn’t hard to help that woman that day. And I felt a lot better that she was out of the snow and cold.
It feels really good when you help someone! When we’re deciding whether to help or not, we often forget how good it feels to help! We get worried about helping. Maybe it will feel awkward or uncomfortable. It might seem weird. Or we lack some confidence in our ability to help. Or we lack courage.
Still God calls us to serve Him and serve others. And nobody should be left lying in the snow!
After college I served in a homeless shelter in Seattle. I usually worked weekdays, but this day I helped out for a couple hours on Saturday morning. The night staff told me a woman, a resident at the shelter had just rushed in and said she had been kidnapped and went up to her room. I thought, WHAT??? I was the food coordinator at the shelter, and just a little bit of a counselor. I never took a class in psychology. I didn’t know how to deal with this! All the residents are supposed to leave in the morning for the day. They left, but the woman who had been kidnapped didn’t. I went up to see her. She said she was hungry and upset. I made her a meal and brought it to her. Then I listened to her. She told me she had been going to an appointment, and the bus wasn’t coming. So she hitchhiked and we kidnapped. She got away because she said she had to give some medicine to her son. She told me about her life. She had been close to her father, and he died, and the world seemed to fall apart for her after that. I tried to get her to call police, but she said, “Later.” I wasn’t feeling confident that I was helping her. I thought I didn’t know what to do.
I worried I wasn’t being a help. But she really appreciated all I did. She said she felt safe.
Often when we help someone, for some reason, we don’t think we did much. We can wonder, “Did I do a good enough job? Was I any help?” But most often what we do is soooooo appreciated by the person we help! They don’t expect us to be an expert. They are just touched that someone cares. Someone did something nice for us. We underestimate how much our kindness means to the person on the receiving end. A little good goes a long way!
One of the wonderful memories I have of my mom is from about 20 years ago. I was on a committee with our Conference for the UCC. There was a meeting in Dayton, Ohio, where I’m from, so I said, “I’ll go!” During the several days of the meeting I stayed with my parents. My mom had the beginning of dementia. Still, in the morning, she woke me up, (she had to wake me up twice because I was sleepy) so I would get to seminar on time. And she made me oatmeal for breakfast! To my mom, it was no big deal. She had raised four kids. She had a lifetime career of waking kids up and making them breakfast. But to me, I thought, “Wow! nobody makes me oatmeal!” (Except in a restaurant. But they don’t make it like mom!) I love oatmeal for breakfast! Wow! And nobody makes sure I’m awake! I felt so cared for! It was an unexpected kindness! I was not just thankful for the oatmeal and the wakeup call. I was thankful because her kindness showed me, she really cared for me.
A little good goes a long way. If you think about it, you probably have memories of when someone did something nice for you. That sticks with you! That kindness lives on! And you probably remember times you helped someone. It felt good to know you helped.
But so often we hesitate to help. We hold back.
Two verses from Proverbs can help us let go of the fear of helping, and the fear of awkwardness. The first verse is Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” That means Trust in the Lord. Don’t trust in your doubt. Don’t trust in your worry. Trust in the Lord with all your heart! If God nudges you to offer someone help, and they don’t want help, they’ll tell you, “No thanks.” No harm done! Trust in the Lord! Don’t trust in your own understanding. Because in our own understanding, we can decide against it. We think “I don’t know what I’m doing, they don’t want my help. It would be weird if I offer help.”
We were at an aquarium once. I was taking a picture of Kevin and Ian and a woman asked, “Do you want me to take a picture of all of you?” “Yes!” I thought she was really nice. I remember Ian being impressed too! I have taken a photo when strangers ask, and you may have, too. It’s a small kindness that’s really appreciated! Your help is much more appreciated than you think! A little good goes a long way.
The second verse is Proverbs 3:6 “In all your ways submit to the Lord, and he will make your paths straight.”
That means if you say, “Ok God, here goes. I’m not sure how this will go, but ok God! I submit to you. I’ll give this a try.” Then you do something kind. Scripture promises if you submit to God, he will make your paths straight. Good things will happen.
My challenge for you this week is to do something kind for someone. Maybe you write a card expressing gratitude to someone. In a few minutes, you have served God, served people, and made a difference.
Jesus told his disciples in Mark 9:41 “Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.” Jesus talked about someone just giving another person a cup of water. For that they will be rewarded by God. Kindness doesn’t have to be something elaborate for you to feel better for having shown it, and for the person who received it to think it is wonderful!
There are times we see someone who needs help or a boost of kindness. Don’t talk yourself out of it, saying someone else will help, I don’t want to get involved. Because you are God’s hands and feet. When he gives you a nudge, be kind, help out. You will get a reward, and the person you help will probably feel at least twice as grateful as you think! Because a little good goes a long way and makes a big impact! Amen.
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