EVERYONE ONETIME NEEDS A HELPING HAND
I am convinced that people who are down on their luck (so
to speak) would rather have a hand up than a hand out. Most
people, I know, don’t want good things to be handed to
them on a silver platter, without any effort on their
part. They
want only an opportunity to show what they can do given
half a chance. They believe in equal opportunity not equal
results. “Just
open the door a crack and give me a chance to get in the
game. You
may be surprised, how far I can go with my God-given
talents.”
The Bible story that illustrates that for me is the
healing of the lame man who begged for alms at the
entrance to the temple (Acts chapter 3). One
day Peter and John saw that man who was lame from birth,
waiting for a handout. Instead
Peter gave him a hand up.
Instead of charity, Peter commanded him to “rise up and
walk.” Words
are powerful and persuasive but Peter went beyond
proclamation; he reached down, took him by the hand and
lifted him up. Something
unexplainable passed through Peter’s hand and the ankle
bones of the cripple received an infusion of power,
enabling him to arise and go “walking, leaping and
praising God” into the temple with Peter and John.
Giving alms is easy. What
people need more than charity is an encouraging word and a
firm hand reaching down and helping them up; to receive a
divine infusion of power and to find strength within
themselves to walk with God, leap with joy and sing
praises.
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