How Can I Help You?
Recently my three-year-old was playing restaurant with my six-year-old. They were taking turns serving each other, using a play tea set tray and odds and end pieces of plastic pots and pans gathered from various other play sets. It was quite entertaining to hear them asking each other questions they frequently hear from wait staff.
“May I take your order?”
“Do you want fries with that?”
“Cash, credit or debit?”
“Can I get you anything else?”
I was chuckling to myself as I listened to their conversation. Then, my ears perked up as my three-year-old said, “How can I help you?” His soft coarse voice spoke the words with such sincerity. “How can I help you?” What sweeter words to hear from someone when they sincerely speak them. I often find myself searching for the right words to speak when someone losses a loved one, a job, their marriage. When someone finds their child caught up in drug addiction, sexual promiscuity or with cancer, I usually stumble over myself trying to say the right thing.
In God’s Word He tells us to bear each other’s burdens. It’s a command, not a suggestion. These simple words, “How can I help you?” assist in the burden bearing process. Sometimes the answer might be a simple task, other times it might be more consuming. The bottom line is when others are overwhelmed by life, we can offer help. A prayer, a cup of coffee, a ride to church, a hug, a note of encouragement, a day out, babysitting for a few hours, all provide relief with little effort. Many times the load of the burden is eased just by a few simple gestures of kindness.
We live in a self-consumed world, with a do-it-your-way mindset. As Christians this is contrary to what God’s Word teaches us. A “How can I help you?” attitude provides a great way to bear burdens and share the message of hope for heartaches with unbelievers. It’s exactly the kind of attitude Jesus shared on earth—healing the blind, sick, deaf and mute and feeding those who were hungry. His “How can I help you?” attitude led Him all the way to the cross.
QUOTE: “People will not care how much you know, ‘til they know how much you care.” Multiple attributions, including John Maxwell.
“Bear ye one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ,” Gal. 6:2 KJV.
Today’s devotion is by Gina Stinson, wife to Bruce, mom to Savannah and Tucker, co-founder of The Mission in Gunter, TX, and publicist assistant for Kathy Carlton Willis Communications.
