Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “A life of service”
Our Bible verse for today: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
Our thought for today: “You were created for this.”
For the last few days we have been considering some lessons out of the great little book “The Sender” by Kevin Elko. The primary lesson taught in that book is about living a life of service by being an encourager of others. But as I mentioned yesterday, in order to do that, especially to do it consistently and persistently as a way of life, you have to be tuned-in to what other people are going through. You have to be sensitive enough, and paying enough attention, to notice when others are in need of a lift. You have to be “a noticer”.
Andy Andrews, the author of “The Traveler’s Gift”, which some of you have read, also wrote another book entitled “The Noticer”. The main character in the book is an old man named Jones. Not Mr. Jones, just Jones. That’s all he goes by. Jones has a unique gift of being able to notice things about other people that they themselves are missing. The things Jones notices are deeply insightful and very important, and if the individuals would just notice those things about themselves, it would change their lives.
The entire story revolves around Jones helping others recognize and appreciate the things that he notices about them. He then encourages them to change their beliefs about themselves and to make decisions and take actions based upon those new deeper insights.
To be “a noticer” of what other people are going through requires a sensitive heart and a desire to help, as well as a good deal of wisdom. It’s a skill that has to be cultivated and developed over time. It’s based upon a spirit of empathy (that unique quality that enables us to understand and identify with another person’s situation, feelings, and emotions), and then enter into that situation with them with the goal of helping them through it.
Now work with me here for a moment as we connect the lessons from both books, “The Sender” and “The Noticer”. What if you prayerfully asked God to help you become more sensitive to what other people are going through, to the point that you become “a noticer”, one of those special people who is so in-tune with others that you “notice” when something isn’t quite right with them. And then what if you follow that up by being “a sender” as well – someone who sends notes of encouragement, or finds other ways to lift-up, support, and perhaps even hold-up the arms of someone who is so worn down by their circumstances that they feel they can no longer go on?
If that was you then you would be a very special person indeed. You would be a person the Lord uses to bring blessings and hope into the lives of people who just need to know that someone notices and cares.
Today is Friday. On Sunday you will be gathering with your church family. I can promise you there will be people in your congregation who are hurting and in need of encouragement. Will you notice? And will you be the conduit through which the Lord sends a blessing to that person? You were created for this. Make it a point to notice. And then make it a point to encourage.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 