After I got my first car…my senior year of college…my daddy insisted that I enroll in AAA. I was aghast that he thought I would drink and drive until he sat me down and s-l-o-w-l-y explained to me the difference between AA and AAA! He told me that although I had been taught how to change a tire, it would be nice to have someone come and help me if I were on the road alone and if I broke down, he wanted to know that I could get a tow-truck to take me to a place where my car could be repaired. Then he said, “Cyndi, I won’t be able to come and help you out every time you need it, so I am telling you how you can find help on your own!” My daddy never even got through the 8th grade but he was the wisest man I ever knew.
My renewal for AAA came in the mail this week and I remembered his statement. These years later I see he could have been talking about life and what Christians should be to the world. AAA doesn’t fix our cars…it takes us to places where they can be fixed! Many of us hesitate to minister to others because we think we are to “fix” things. Being surrounded by great hurt can be overwhelming if we believe we are to make everything better. Admittedly, there are things we can “fix” for the moment…a meal, money to pay a bill, a hug, kissing a skinned knee… things we can do for minor hurts and pains but in major things, like great grief, we are helpless so we make trite statements because we must “say or do something” to make it better. We become overwhelmed, discouraged, and often give up and often become depressed ourselves because we thought we could make things better. I have been there…many times; delusional enough to think I actually had any control over terrible situations...thinking if I just said the right thing…if I helped them in another way…if I just stopped them somehow then things would be better.
God never called us to fix…but to take the brokenness to the Great Physician. Knowing this can free us to minister in His power. We are the conduits to the One who can fix…who can bring peace…who is freedom from sinful behaviors. Jesus said, “Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden for my yoke is easy and my burden light.” (Matt. 11:29) He didn’t say, cyndi, take on the world…but He said, bring the world to me.
How do we do that? First of all know Him and realize He has been the comforter, restorer, and redeemer on your own journey! Paul said in Philippians 3:10 “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings becoming like Him in His death.” Spend time with Him; learn to trust Him yourself. Secondly, you cannot lead people where you haven’t been so don’t try! You have, however, been on journeys others have yet to go and own an already-plotted map. Share that “map” when you see others on similar roads for that is ‘sharing in His sufferings’…Jesus understood every trial of mankind and showed the way to the Father to all who would follow. Thirdly, stop to help if you can or at least call a tow truck. We must minister…we can’t just speed by those in need because we don’t know what to do! Stop and offer His peace. When there is a breakdown, be there to take them to the repair shop of God’s presence. On occasion, we can help fix “a flat,” but that flat will eventually need to get fixed or replaced and that needs to be done by Someone who knows what He is doing! Let others know of the flat fixer…and let them know it isn’t you. So, friend, minister to others in the mighty name of Jesus! That is all we are called to do.
Daddy, you haven’t been here to help me out of some pretty bad situations…but you taught me about how to get help…and that has made all the difference. Thanks!
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