We go through life trying to put the puzzle together and figure out where our place exists in this world.
The problem is, when we try to do the puzzle, more often than not we break the puzzle back up and fail to find where we fit.
These are the times that cause us to doubt in what we know and what we believe the most.
This is where, from that old proverb, we start looking back over our shoulder and start seeing only one set of footprints when we thought Jesus was right beside us. These are the times we start asking,
“Where are you Lord? Why have you abandoned me?”
Now, saying that is one thing, but understanding it is a whole different picture.
Saving Lives
I’m assuming most of us have seen the movie “To Save a Life”, and saw that epic story of what one kid went through to help save another from committing suicide.
We also saw the transformation that happened in his life through the development of a relationship with the Lord.
Now, obviously it is a movie and you could argue it was dramatized to fit the bill that the church put on, but lives can be changed this way. This is not the point that I’m trying to make though; my point is that this book is about more than just that life that was saved.
The character, Chris, at the beginning, makes a great point that the Bible is nothing if we don’t let it soak into our lives and change us.
The real life that was saved in the book was Jake Taylor’s life because his life was falling apart before he found God.
Let us ignore the dramatization and think about this concept.
From Struggles To Victory
When struggles hit us where do you turn?
Have you ever noticed that when you try to hold the world together, the puzzle together, that’s when it falls apart the worst?
I think we all need to take a second and realize that the world as we know it will always be messed up somehow, but that in every mess that we see, God sees the beauty.
The biggest thing this movie made me realize after watching it so many times is there is more than one way to save a life.
That is the thing that I think we miss most of the time; God doesn’t want that okay life. The alright life. That good enough life. He wants us to have our perfect life; the best life.
We must save lives as Christians even if it means saving another Christian from the struggles they go through. The best way to “save” them is to have them committed – committed to our Lord and Savior through prayer and encouragement.
The song is corny, “Lean On Me”, but it is true that sometimes we need to lean on each other and be helped through the struggles that are in our path.
We were not made to be alone in our battles.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 reminds us that “two can defend themselves better than one and that a set of three is hard to break.” Therefore, let us remember to hold our brothers up and to have brothers that can hold us up because we are stronger together.
We can also save a life by encouraging others in everything that they do.
As another post by Isaac Hecker says on this site, we are called to love others: to love sinners; to love our neighbors as ourselves!
This is an act of saving others also because people around us are struggling whether we care enough to know it or not.
Step Up!
God never expected us to go through this world alone, as was seen in the beginning of the Bible. We are made to be in pairs at the very least which seems to be a foreign concept to how our world is set up. We all seem to be headed more towards this idea of “connected” loners because of technology.
We have this horrible tendency to take the easiest path, but where would you be if somebody hadn’t stepped up to tell you about Jesus?
We have to realize that without other people in our lives, none of us would be where we are… No matter how perfect you might pretend to be.
As a family of believers, we have to step up for one another because you never know when your neighbor, your acquaintance.. even you’re friend that you keep texting really needs you.
Step Up!
Men, we are called to be strong.
Who cares what someone thinks of you when you sit next to person A? Who cares what someone thinks when you hang out with person B?
Remember, there comes a time when everyone needs someone and you may not know when that moment actually occurs.
Step Up!
Don’t ever let someone go by that you had a chance to move. You could be the difference between a right choice or a wrong choice… maybe between life and death.
BE A MAN!
May your eyes be opened to those around you. God Bless.
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