We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed,
but not in despair. 2 Corinthians 4:8
The man got in trouble for helping someone. He had been raised in a rural area, so he was
in the habit of stopping to assist troubled motorists. But when he stopped in a large city
to offer help to someone who was stranded, he was shot, robbed, and left for dead. The
story has a happy ending, though. The man recovered from his injuries, and he says he has
gained a deeper confidence in God. He still believes that helping others is the right
thing to do.
Now, I'm not suggesting that we stop for every stranded motorist. Caution is always wise.
But the New Testament shows that when we help others, we are bound to run into
troubleespecially when what we offer is the good news of the gospel. Sooner or later
we will meet with resistance. Yet this trouble will have a happy ending.
The apostle Paul, for example, was battered, bruised, hated, and harassed. But he
expressed the heart of a man who was doing exactly what he wanted to do. He was working
with God for the spiritual rescue of people who would someday fill eternity with their
appreciation (2 Corinthians 4:15). He knew that in the end the Lord Himself would confirm
the eternal value of his efforts. And that was worth all the trouble he encountered
helping others.
-MRDII
If I can do some good today,
If I can help in what I say,
If by my deeds Your love convey
Lord, just show me how.
-Brandt
The rewards of witnessing are well worth the risks.