We say, “It is not my responsibility. I don’t want to get involved!” Ever said those words because you didn’t want to be bothered or just didn’t want to have anything to do with the person who might have a need. You might have thought you had a good reason, but did you really?
Have you ever avoided eye contact with a person on the street because you didn’t want to be bothered? Often the actions of a person do not fit the heart of that person. Perhaps it was an inconvenient time, but the bottom line is you didn’t offer to help someone in need.
Research confirms that the trend to avoid involvement is increasing worldwide. Nevertheless, being there for others is a biblical mandate; it’s the practical application of loving God and your neighbor.
Crises generally present themselves in one of three ways:
- Situational crises include serious illnesses, the death of a loved one, or breakdowns in family relationships. The biblical patriarch Job experienced all of these.
- Developmental crises happen over a period in life. Leaving home, going away to college, marriage adjustments, parenting, retirement, or declining health can be painful crises in life. Many people experience this type of crisis and successfully pull through. In fact, I have experienced them in my personal life. And let me tell you, none were easy to fight through; however, I learned from the experiences that if I could hold on, I would prevail and life would be sweeter than before.
- A self-awareness crisis occurs when you discover a disturbing truth about yourself: you are told that, humanly speaking, your illness is incurable, or you see yourself as a failure because now you are too old to realize your life’s goals. Or you face the reality of being divorced or widowed, or you feel rejected because of your background.
You might have experienced or are going through a crisis. If so, a word of encouragement to you is to hang on! God will see you through the crisis. What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. So, hang on in there and Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!
By Chaplain Ghosten
chaplain@lhp.net
