Seize the Opportunity to Serve

By Rick Warren

“Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is God’s hand for that person. Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now” (Proverbs 3:27-28 The Message/GNT).

Love is something you do. Love doesn’t just say, “I feel sorry for what happened to that guy. Isn’t it a shame? Isn’t that too bad?” Love seizes the moment.

For instance, in one of Jesus’ most familiar parables, the Good Samaritan did several things to seize the moment. Some translations say he even “stooped down.” In other words, he got on the man’s level. He didn’t pretend he was superior, and he didn’t talk down to him (Luke 10:34).

Second, the Good Samaritan used what he had. He dressed the man’s wounds with wine and oil. Why? That’s what he had on his donkey. The wine worked okay because it’s alcohol. It’s an antiseptic. The oil worked okay because it would be soothing to the man’s wounds.

Then the Bible says the Good Samaritan dressed the man with bandages. Where did he get the bandages? This guy wasn’t a doctor. He didn’t have a first aid kit. And the hurt man had been stripped naked, so he didn’t have any clothes. The bandages were from the Samaritan’s own clothes.

The Good Samaritan did what he could with what he had at that particular moment.

The world is full of wounded people. Do you ever wonder how many people you walk by every day who are wounded? Maybe they’re not wounded physically, but they’re wounded emotionally. They’re wounded spiritually. They’re wounded financially. And they need your love. They need your kindness.

Don’t wait for better conditions. Don’t wait until it’s more convenient. Don’t put off what you know you can do for someone today. God will be with you as you seize the moment.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!

Step into the blessings God has for you!

Everyone wants to be blessed in life. But how can we live in such a way that invites God’s blessings?

Join Pastor Rick as he helps you experience all of God’s blessings in your everyday life with his Keys to a Blessed Life study kit.

This 6-session DVD and study guide explores practical steps you can take today that will lead to a life God can bless abundantly.

We’ll send you the Keys to a Blessed Life study kit to thank you for your gift this month. Your gifts help us reach more lives with the powerful message of the gospel.

So request this resource as you give today . . . and be blessed!

*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.

This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.