I prayed a very simple prayer yesterday morning: “God, help me be friendly to someone who’s lonely.” I know God gives us opportunities to test our faith and to give Him glory…and usually, we mess those situations up horribly.
As I thought about it, I realized God wasn’t necessarily going to send me someone who I liked. Maybe that someone would be annoying or cold or a chatterbox. But I still have to do the right thing.
God doesn’t promise to give us easy. Let me just tell you that here and now. He doesn’t promise us rosy and bright and magical. This world is messed up. Thus, your life will be a bit choppy.
But with God, it’s bearable. And even more so. With God, it’s abundant.
But then it was almost 5, and I thought about how I wasn’t friendly. I really missed out on abundance yesterday. I really messed up horribly.
A girl was sitting all alone at a table this morning.
And I took a chair from her table to sit with my friends.
How pathetic am I.
I looked back at the opportunities God gave me to be kind to the lonely…and I was selfish. I hung out with my friends. I only thought about me.
How many times has this happened to you? When you realized that you were downright selfish? I just wanted what I wanted. How empty.
Talking with your friends about the new boots at Target is empty.
Discussing the score from the game last Sunday is pointless.
But saying hi to a lonely kid would make a huger difference than you could ever imagine.
We have to set our minds to remember that those shy kids who sit by themselves at lunch every week DO HAVE FEELINGS. We just ignore them and brush them aside in our minds. But it is those kids who cut themselves, criticize themselves, and think about committing suicide.
I watched a really good movie last week called To Save a Life. Really powerful. It made me realize that the kids who get put down and left out are the ones struggling to see the meaning in life.
I’m not nearly as friendly or kind or loving as I should be. I need to step out and stop thinking about myself for more than 30 seconds each day. Because someone out there is hurting, and someone out there is thinking about committing suicide or inflicting pain upon themselves.
This post isn’t meant to make you feel guilty for the times you’ve messed up. I’m writing this so that we’ll try harder tomorrow. You have no idea how big your impact could be. Galatians 6:10 says, “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”
Let’s get outside of our silly selves long enough to see the pain in the world’s eyes. They need to see Jesus, and they’re not going to see Him through anyone else. Pray for opportunities and then take them. This is your chance. Give it your all.
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4 NASB)
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 