And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many
Social scientists have a name for the tendency to watch from the sidelines: The Bystander Effect. It’s a social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases in which individuals do not offer any means of help to a victim when other people are present. The greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that any of them will help. Everyone thinks that someone else will do something or step in to rescue the victim.
It is easy, in the middle of our busy, fast-paced lives, to think that someone else will do what God is actually calling us to do. Someone else will witness to a neighbor or volunteer at our church or pray with a co-worker. We often think that throwing money at a need relieves us of the responsibility of wading in and getting our hands dirty.
If we are all honest, God is prompting us at this very point in time to do something we have not done before, to stretch beyond what is comfortable for us. So, why do we hesitate and hang back? Why are we content to watch while another believer steps in to meet that need?
For someone in your life right now, you are God’s Plan A. Jesus is counting on you to listen to His voice, to obey His prompting, and to reach out to meet the need. He created you for exactly this moment in history, to perform this good work that He ordained, and to be the answer to someone else’s prayer.
Blessing:
Lord Jesus, help me to roll up my sleeves and get to work. Thank You for being my example of how to love and serve. Help me not to wait on someone else to do what I have been called to do. I was not saved to sit but to serve. In Your name…amen.
Today's Bible Reading:
Old Testament
2 Samuel 17:1-29
New Testament
John 19:23-42
Psalms & Proverbs
Psalm 119:132-155
Proverbs 16:12-13
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