I don't know why I'm surprised when I turn the corner and find them there but I am. They are kinda like cockroaches. You don't always see them but if you live in the south you know they aren't ever that far away. You turn on the light in the middle of the night or you open the garage door and suddenly one is scurrying past your foot.
It's always gross and if it happens in front of a guest it is always embarrassing.
Recently I was startled to discover an attitude of pride and expectation had moved in temporarily. Not cool temporary visitors like backpackers in a European hostile. More like cockroaches that need to be stepped on before they breed.
It was bound to happen. By nature what we do in our ministry is complicated. Tangled. Messy. When you spend your days in urban ministry you find yourself in a position to 'do for' people which can be a dangerous place to be.
Dangerous because you can slip into a role of a provider instead of a facilitator. Shift from being a fellow traveler to a tour guide. When that happens it's a short trip to pride and unwarranted expectation. False ownership.
False ownership? I liken it to the opposite of entitlement (when the other person feels they have a right to my help). Or perhaps a near cousin. It's when I believe I have rights and control over what belongs to someone else. It happens when I have helped a person out and they don't do what I think they should with that help. At that moment a pseudo-righteous indignation rises up in me and says, 'Hey! I did that for you and now you aren't holding up your end of the bargain! You're supposed to make better choices because I did this for you.'
Perhaps that sounds reasonable to you and it is definitely a natural feeling. But at the heart of it resides a lie. The lie says 'I did this for you.' That's where I mess up and it's also when I leave the door open for those disgusting cockroaches to sneak in to my heart.
Jesus said when you do this for the least of these you do it for me. When I make the mistake of 'doing for' someone instead of serving Jesus first then I'm already going down the wrong path.
I don't help people because they need help.
I don't help people because I can fix them.
I don't help people because I have something they need.
No. What I do is I love Jesus.
I love Jesus when I feed someone.
I love Jesus when I clothe someone.
I love Jesus when I give someone a ride to a job interview.
I love Jesus when I share a meal with someone no one wants to eat with.
I love Jesus when I listen to someone no one wants to listen to.
I love Jesus when I teach someone to read or help someone with their homework.
I love Jesus. Period.
What happens after that is between Jesus and whomever I have loved in His name.
I don't own that. He does.
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’
37-40 “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’
Matthew 25:36-40
Brian and Heather Flood are full time missionaries in downtown Savannah. They are the founders and directors of Hope Academy in Savannah, GA. Hope exists to partner with adults in their adult education needs and to help them discover and achieve their life purpose.To learn more about Hope Academy or how you can impact downtown Savannah one life at a time contact Brian Flood at bflood56@outlook.com.
Visit them on Facebook or at www.hopeacademysavannah.com or to donate and Share Hope with a Student go to their Go Fund Me page, www.gofundme.com/hopeacademysav .
