Practical assistance…

We are looking here at how to treat people right and the fact that giving mercy is a part of it. If I’m a merciful person, I will help those who are hurting.

Proverbs 3.27 (TEV), “Wherever you possibly can, do good to those who need it.”  

Mercy is practical assistance.  There are people all around you who are hurting.  Now if you feel sorry for those people that is not being like CHRIST.  If you do something about it, that is being like CHRIST.  If you take action, if you do something about it.

I John 3.17-18 (Living Bible), “If someone who is supposed to be a CHRISTian has enough money to live well and sees a brother in need and won’t help him, how can GOD's love be within him?…Let’s stop just saying we love people, let us really show it by our actions.”

That verse stabs me like a dagger.  Don’t just say we love people, show it!  Do something real.  Lets’ really help people.

John Wesley's motto:  “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.” 

Help to those who are hurting.  He is probably one of the men who made one of the greatest impacts in the world.  He started the Methodist church.  He says when you see someone hurting a merciful person does something about it. 

Somebody asked Flip Wilson one time, “What’s your religion?” He answered, “I’m a JEHOVAH’s bystander.”  He didn’t want to get involved.  I know a lot of JEHOVAH’s bystanders.

Remember the story of the Good Samaritan – the man who was mugged, thrown over to the side of the road?  Two guys walked by – “I can’t get involved.  Sorry about what happened, but I can’t get involved!”  The third guy came, took action, took him to the Holiday Inn, left his American Express Gold Card to take care of him and said, “I’ll pay for it all.”  That’s mercy. 

JESUS is said, “Happy are those who care enough to get involved.”

Just a thought from the front porch…