I survived a test of patience yesterday. I sat through two traffic jams, going to and coming from work. The root of the traffic jams was one of my pet peeves – onlooker delays. Two people had accidents, and everyone had to see what happened. Rather than slow down to lend a helping hand, most of us slowed down to get a good look at the damage. I’m sure most of the drivers thought like me, “How in the world did that happen?”
The more I thought about it, the more convicted I felt. I’ve often seen people in need, but instead of helping, I was satisfied with being an onlooker. The parable of the good Samaritan, however, reminded me of the importance of helping others. Of the three people who could have helped in this story, JESUS commended one – the good Samaritan. HE highlighted the good Samaritan for his willingness to help someone in need.
If you think about it, helping others is really a mandate for Christians. When CHRIST saw us sidelined by sin, HE stopped and helped us. Likewise, as Christians (“Christ-like”), we should do the same for others.
Help someone!