Scripture

 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.

~Galatians 6:2-3, NLT

Quote

To minister to the needs of others even when you are hurting, is to liberate your soul from the small addiction to self.

~Calvin Miller

I have told people who were bathing themselves in self-pity to forget their problems and go help someone else. They look at me like a calf looking at a new gate and go right back to talking about themselves. You can never change the subject when you are dealing with such a person; they will invariable go back to their pain and problems as if no one in the world were hurting more than themselves. You know you have reached some level of maturity when you can minister to the hurting without talking about your pain. I get so aggravated with myself for drawing attention to my problems when I know it is nothing in comparison to the problems of those I am speaking with. Hurting people are prone to hurt others but there is away to change this: give your pain to Jesus and then find a hurting person and help them. Helping someone else will ease your pain.

Corrie Ten Boom got hurt deeply by the Nazis. They took her freedom and robbed her of her dignity by stripping her naked in public. They took the lives of her family {father and sister} and she alone survived the holocaust. They hurt her deeply and such horrible scars do not heal quickly but Corrie loved Jesus and was determined to do the right thing. She learned to convert her pain and hurt into a make believe rose and then lay the rose at Jesus feet. She was able to forgive the guards that treated her so brutally and caused the death of her sister. My point is that hurting people make great ministers. I heard a young man preach years ago and his sermon was filled with pious platitudes and witty quotes but it was not a good sermon to me. I sat there thinking, this guy will be a good preacher someday, after he has suffered. At the present, he had all the answers. He said all the right things but they were just words.

You older folks will remember Bobby Vinton’s hit, “Come back when you grow up girl, you are still living in a paper doll world.” As Paul reminded us, some Christian don’t mature or grow up. They stay in the infant stage or crying for more milk or someone to hold them. Pain and problems accelerate our spiritual maturity. I had a beautiful young lady tell me after being crushed by a bitter divorce, “Bro. Jack, I will never use my spiritual gifts again. I cannot stand before people.” I said, “Oh yes you will. Out of your pain, God will give you a ministry. He’s preparing you for greater service.” God can use your pain for the good of others and His glory.

Extra

You got love the weather. Our flowering shrubs are beautiful. I have never seen them like they are today. We have Jackson today so I have to get this posted. Right now he is in the house with Big Mama watching Paw Patrol but I don’t know how long that will last.

GRACE POINT family: Fish Fry Sunday evening March 23. We will eat at 5:30. We are doing a surprise birthday party for the FOUNDING FATHERS {Mickey, Don and Mike} on Wednesday night March 13th. It is also Charles Sanders Birthday and we are throwing him in the mix. We want to appreciate Charles for leading us in our building program. We will have joint worship at 6:30, then prayer and a party. We started with cake and ice cream but I think it is going to be a meal. Remember, this is a surprise. Only one of the four reads the blog and he is to keep silent. I know that may be a complaint about me talking off two weeks in the same month but I’m going to take that chance.

Have a great day and thanks for reading the blog.