Helping Yourself
I heard about a professional mountain climber who was climbing a very difficult mountain with his team. It was very cold and hard for them to even breathe. Along the way about six hours from the top, there was an incredible snow storm, a blizzard, making it extremely difficult for them to keep going. At one point, this man saw another man on the side of the trail curled up, laying there asleep. He was basically freezing to death. He had a heartbeat, but could barely breathe. His team looked at him and kept going. They said, "If you stop and try to help him, you could lose your own life." But this man could not leave him there. He told the team to go on, and then he started massaging the man's arms, rubbing his legs, patting his face, trying to get him to wake up. Miraculously, about fifteen minutes later, the man came to and they walked down the mountain. He saved the other man's life.
A doctor examined them both and said to the professional climber who had stopped to help, "Your arms and legs were starting to go numb. You were starting to suffer from frostbite and wouldn't have made it much further. But when you started massaging this man, it increased your own circulation and probably saved your own life."
In life, sometimes it's easy to get so caught up in our climb to the top that we're too busy to help anybody else. We think, "I can't stop, other people are going to get ahead of me." No, the truth is when we take time to help other people win, what we're really doing is helping ourselves to win. When you reach out to help others, you are actually helping yourself become better, too.
Today, I encourage you to look for ways to help others win. It may be as simple as helping someone at the grocery store or helping a coworker with a project at work. Look for ways to help your family members get ahead. Do you see someone who is tired and overwhelmed? Is there something you can do to sow life and strength into them? Remember, you are the hands and feet of Jesus on earth. When you reach out to others, Scripture says you are reaching out and helping God Himself. And when you get involved in God's business, He'll get involved in yours. He'll make sure that the blessings come back to you in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over in every area of your life!
Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?" The King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:37-40, NIV).
A doctor examined them both and said to the professional climber who had stopped to help, "Your arms and legs were starting to go numb. You were starting to suffer from frostbite and wouldn't have made it much further. But when you started massaging this man, it increased your own circulation and probably saved your own life."
In life, sometimes it's easy to get so caught up in our climb to the top that we're too busy to help anybody else. We think, "I can't stop, other people are going to get ahead of me." No, the truth is when we take time to help other people win, what we're really doing is helping ourselves to win. When you reach out to help others, you are actually helping yourself become better, too.
Today, I encourage you to look for ways to help others win. It may be as simple as helping someone at the grocery store or helping a coworker with a project at work. Look for ways to help your family members get ahead. Do you see someone who is tired and overwhelmed? Is there something you can do to sow life and strength into them? Remember, you are the hands and feet of Jesus on earth. When you reach out to others, Scripture says you are reaching out and helping God Himself. And when you get involved in God's business, He'll get involved in yours. He'll make sure that the blessings come back to you in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over in every area of your life!
Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?" The King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:37-40, NIV).