Transforming Tuesdays: Giving Back!

Sometimes going through life can become so mundane and routine.  Often times we forget our reasons of being here.  We can become so consumed with what we’re doing or our own personal successes that we forget what really matters.  Our goal of living in eternity with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ should always be the meaning to life here on earth.  No matter how crazy this world gets, we have to always keep our eyes on the prize!  Also, we have to find ways to give back to others just as Christ has done for us.

When we get to heaven we can’t take any of these things that we have with us.  We can’t even take a Bible with us!! This is because Heaven will supply all of our needs and wants, mainly because that is our home.  The thought of it is just beautiful, kind of like a vacation that you never have to leave.  The big question is trying to figure out how to get there.  One of the big things that you have to realize in order to get into heaven is understanding why Jesus died on the cross.  He did all of that to forgive us of all our sins.  He was crucified so many years ago for sins that he knew that you and I would commit in 2013.  He is truly amazing!

In Matthew we are introduced to the story of the servant who was shown mercy when he could not pay his debt.  The master was initially going to sell him and his family into slavery until the servant begged for mercy and the master changed his mind.  The master eventually canceled the man’s debt and the servant was put into the same situation as his original master.  The servant was owed money by someone who was just like him, and instead of showing the same compassion that he was shown, he had the other servant thrown into jail.  I found this odd considering he was just shown mercy, but then it made me think of my own personal experiences.  How many times do we refuse to show the same compassion that we are offered?  How many times do we think of ourselves before we think of others? 

This story reminded me of my day yesterday.  When I woke up for school I was so exhausted that I suddenly got worried.  Although I am not one who gets a lot of sleep, I can usually survive on maybe 4-5 hours of sleep a night.  This past week I have been having the worst sleepless nights where it feels like when I close my eyes I feel like I have to get up.  Well I contemplated on whether or not I was going to go to school or not, but then I remembered that I had promised to participate in a college fair for high school students.  My initial thinking was that other people were going to be there so I didn’t have to go.  As it turned out, I had an amazing time connecting with the students in their search for higher education.  I was able to laugh, encourage, and inspire, and I grew less tired.  On my way home at around 6:30pm I was able to reflect on how important it was for me to be there and give back.  What if everyone who has inspired, helped, or encouraged me were too tired to meet me???  That thought alone should encourage you enough to do better in your life.

 

We all need each other in life especially in our daily walk with Christ.  The start of 2013 opened my eyes to allow me to realize that I have 6 other people who are just like me and who are striving to be better (Jael, Brittney, Ron, Christian, Hannah, and Steven just to name a few) and who give back in ways unimaginable.  The idea of giving back doesn’t have to be big or extravagant, it could possibly be by listening or even praying for someone.  One of the biggest forms of giving back is by using your negative past experiences and making them positive so that other people can grow from them.  The servant in Matthew was in a predicament to give back the same mercy that he was shown and he failed to do so.  The same notion works for forgiveness!  You are supposed to forgive 77x7, which is a huge number.  Just as Jesus forgave us of our sins we should do the same.  It’s not hard and that is where some of your blessings come from.

Don’t miss out on your blessings that come from being a blessing to others.  Learn to smile more, laugh harder, encourage as much as breathe, inspire before you hinder, when you stumble get back up, and when you get back up bring 2 other people up with you.  Life is temporary so while you’re here we should all try to be the best that we can be while keeping God at the forefront.

Look how this lady found a way to give back although her past seemed as if it were in turmoil.  This is how you can turn a MESS into A MESSage.

It's never too late to Transform Your Tuesdays!

Transforming Tuesdays: Jamera