What I Want for You
June 14, 2019
Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12
In our world the distinction between the haves and the have-nots has been so big and longstanding that we take it for granted. Rarely do we get up in the morning with any actual awareness of our privilege or understanding of the way the rest of the world is living. We simply get up and live our lives, a large part of every day devoted to keeping what we have and getting more. It’s just life.
The words of Jesus above are known as the Golden Rule of living. Jesus said it is a summary of everything the law and the prophets commanded. In other words, the hundreds of laws telling us how to treat the poor and needy can be summarized to this one directive: Make sure to treat them the way I want to be treated.
How does that play out practically? The world has eight great areas of need: Food, Water, Shelter, Education, Physical (medical, etc.), Spiritual, Clothing, Economic.
You can’t pick up a newspaper, pass the television, or hear the radio news without seeing it. You can’t even walk around your own neighborhoods without seeing these needs represented.
Our privilege is to be able to want them to have what we have; to give to them what we would want them to give to us were the positions reversed.
Fortunately, the job is not ours alone. Each of us can link our efforts with others to be the difference through the power of Jesus the world needs. As part of NewPointe, we are automatically part of an empowered and empowering team to serve the world in Jesus’ name. NewPointe partners with other great organizations to impact all these areas of need locally and around the world. We are world changers! In Jesus’ name we get to give to the world what has been given to us.
- Which areas of need are most compelling to you locally?
- Which areas of need most pull at your heart internationally?
- How can you pray, give, and go?
- What will you intentionally do so that one year from now you will be able to say with confidence, “I am giving what has been given to me. I am living as Jesus said. I am changing the world in Jesus’ name.”?