Pastor’s July Message
Dear Friends and Family of Hilton Baptist Church,
Recently I was walking through a town park and I passed by a garbage can. I happened to glance down into the can and kept walking when something registered in my brain that said “That was weird. Why would anyone throw a fur hat in a garbage can?” I took a few steps backward to take another look inside the can and discovered it wasn’t a fur hat at all. It was a raccoon curled up in a ball. Somehow the raccoon got in, but couldn’t get out.
I have a soft spot for animals in distress so I turned over the can and gently kicked the back hoping my little friend would walk (or preferably run) out of the can. He didn’t, so I peaked around the side of the can and he simply sat there looking at me with big eyes. I said “Okay, suit yourself. Come out when you’re ready” and I walked away.
Volume 82, Issue 7
I checked on him about a half hour later and he was still in the tipped-over garbage can curled up taking a nap. I left him there and went home but I’m certain the next morning the park workers were saying unpleasant things about the person who tipped over the can!
My first natural response was to help and for a brief nanosecond I thought I should simply reach in and pull him out. Hey… I know that would have been a stupid idea and I did admit I only had the thought for a nanosecond before common sense kicked in.
And why would reaching in to save him been a bad idea? Because it could have gotten ugly (for me) really quick. I probably would have been bitten and would be spending several hours in the Emergency Room getting rabies shots.
I did the best thing for both of us. I gave him the opportunity to help himself and I walked away unharmed. What he chose to do after that was up to him.
Upon reflection, I think there is an important lesson to be learned from this little encounter. I think we Christians believe it is our responsibility to save every poor soul who finds themselves trapped in their own circumstances. Sometimes these circumstances are of their own making, and sometimes life just happens. Either way, they are trapped and we want to help.
But there are occasions when we must realize our limitations. We must realize that sometimes the best thing we can do is give that person an opportunity to help themselves and then walk away. If we try to reach in further to help them, we may find ourselves in a very ugly situation, bringing possible harm upon ourselves and needing help to heal the wounds we suffered.
And if you are thinking “But we are supposed to be like Jesus!”, my response would be “Yes, we are to be LIKE Jesus.. not BE Jesus”. News flash – there is only one Savior, and you’re not it! Only Jesus can reach in to save the trapped and only Jesus can endure the consequences that follow. People are healed by His wounds, not yours (see Isaiah 53:5).
Does this mean we ignore people in need? No. It simply means we must realize and accept our own limitations. Sometimes we open the door and give others the opportunity to walk out if they choose to. We must accept the fact that some people will “bite” if we try to help them and the best thing we can do, for them and ourselves, is to walk away. We will be unable to use the hands God gave us to help others if we have allowed those same hands to be bitten to shreds by a rabid person.
Take heart, even Jesus walked away from difficult people. If he could do it without guilt, so can you. Remember, there is only one Savior and you’re not it. People are healed by His wounds, not yours.
Be Still, Dan
Categories: Pastors Message