Free to Serve and Love

CONSIDER THIS

Step back in time and you might remember a TV commercial from the early 1990s featuring an older woman who had fallen, sprawled helplessly on her bathroom floor, speaking a popular catchphrase, “I’ve fallen…and I can’t get up.” Seems like for awhile everyone was speaking those words for random reasons.

Even today, we are surrounded by hurting people, perhaps ones who have stumbled and sinned, others might be going through desperate times hiding behind a smile, some may be weary in doing good — and all are powerless to help themselves. They can’t get up. What do we do? Ignore them and look the other way? Leave them there, fallen and hurting and broken? Beat them down for their weakness? God forbid!

The apostle Paul talks practically about how God has set us free to serve and love others. God’s heart is always restoration. We are encouraged to follow in His footsteps, “Restore them in a spirit of gentleness.” So reach out. Build others up. Be gentle, grace-filled, and generous. He is our example. At the cross, Jesus bore our burden. He is our Burden Bearer, our Burden Lifter. He calls us to do the same.

The next time we see someone who has fallen and can’t get up, let’s come alongside, reach out a hand, dust them off, build them up, restore, love, carry their burdens, assure them they are never alone. It’s what Jesus did for us.