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Churches, Schools, Scouting, Youth sporting leagues, Libraries, Hospitals, Animal shelters, Special Olympics, Adult sporting leagues, Nursing homes, Volunteer Fire Departments, Hospice care, Habitat for Humanity, Samaritans Purse, PBS stations, Hurricane relief, flood relief...The list of places you can volunteer goes on and on, both locally and as far away as your heart will take you.
What is a volunteer any way? Isn’t it just someone who shows up once in a while when “that” feeling hits ya, and helps out doing things you “like” to do? Justified with “at least” I did…… so and so didn’t even show up or call… Hey Jay, kiss my _ _ _ _. Who the H E double hockey sticks do you think you are coming off like that??? Whoa big boy/gal. I was talking about me. Yes me. Years and years ago. Been there, done that, OK?
Take a look at the US Military. It’s a volunteer army. Signing up is an option. Re-upping is an option. What if only ½ of the front line didn’t show up for battle? What if most of the front line didn’t show up for battle when needed? Slaughter and collapse of a great nation, either abroad or at home.
Let’s look a bit closer to home at hurricane Katrina, 9-11, the never ending Tornado Alley, and the yearly homeless chased out of their nooks and crannies by Old Man Winter, families where both parents have recently lost their jobs. Most, yes most of the help and rescue comes from volunteers.
What is it that these volunteers have in common? My guess is they feel a burden and a need to sooth it. The Apostle Paul said to the people of Galatia, “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” Then he very pointedly stated “If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.” Again, my guess is that true volunteers feel the burden of others and get out there and help those in need with a lift even of it ain’t convenient.
So what is this “Law of Christ” that we are to obey? And where do we find it written? Good question. It is God’s own Words to us. In the book of Matthew, the Pharisees who were kind of like our Supreme Court Justice’s back then, were experts in religious law. One of them, more than likely a Senior Pharisee tested Jesus with this question, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" Jesus said to him, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” Mat 22: 35-40 NIV.
I think the Pharisees were just handed a Royal smack down, the big slam, like egotistical wrestlers struttin’ round the outer edges of the rink, full of self glory, self righteousness, and self importance. Egging the audience on to cheer for them. And that’s when Jesus comes up behind him, tapped on his shoulder, smiled and then spoke… “Bam” down goes the Pharisee into nothingness.
But…I thought the egotistical wrestler won the match with his strength and honed skills? (just like the know –it-all Pharisee’s thought…). As we’ll see next, the announcer grabs the microphone and says with deep loud spoken Words taken directly from Galatians 6:7-10 “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. ( Hey, it gets better so don’t miss this part…) 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.”
Wow, God says “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good.” This is awesome. Why? Because if God says so in His Word, then He’ll make sure we have the strength do so. It’s not about us having the strength but asking and relying on His strength to continue to help others and volunteer.
This is a good point to stop for now, so…take out your Bible’s, click on your Bibles, however you choose and read the passages above yourself. Then take a few minutes to quietly ask your heavenly Father to help you with the strength and an open heart for volunteering at your local church or where ever He leads you too.
In His love for all He has done for us,
Jay
