Praying for You...Be Blessed!

How many times have you uttered those words to someone who needed your help, or needed your time or just a listening ear... "I'll be praying for you; now, be blessed!" How many times, when you said those words did you have the ability to give or do what was needed, but instead, offered those words choosing rather to "shut up bowels of compassion". It is a choice. I understand that it is often much easier, since it can be an inconvenience to help, to give and to extend yourself when in fact, you may be tired, overextended already or simply not in the mood. After all, even Jesus got tired, right?

Often, I want to say, "No", because I'm overwhelmed or swamped with my own issues and circumstances, but I always seem to hear these words in my ear: "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." Then, I remember exactly WWJD; because He did it. He put aside His glory, and took on the form of sinful flesh for such "a worm as I"--and you, too. In His life and earthly ministry too, though (as well as in death for our redemption), He proved His care for all--giving, healing and touching those who were dismissed by others. He met the needs of the sick--even the leprous and the woman with the issue of blood (at risk to Himself, as far as the Law was concerned), the demon-possessed, even the dead (definitely untouchable legally-speaking). While the priesthood was excelling in avoidance, Jesus was immersing Himself in the needs and issues of the "common" people.

One day, they brought a man to Jesus who was paralyzed, and it might seem like Jesus was giving that typical pat response--sort of like we do. Instead of meeting his need for healing, right away, Jesus says, "Be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven!" We might be tempted to use that as an excuse for our standard response to need (when we don't want to or feel we can't for whatever reason--valid or otherwise), but there is a major difference, actually two. The first one is, Jesus actually had the power to forgive his sins--all of them. He wasn't simply speaking and declaring, and not backing it up with the power to do it--He forgave his sin. Secondly, just to make sure there was no doubt that He was taking the proverbial bull by the horns (and not ducking the challenge or responsibility for this man in need), He healed his paralysis, too.  Everything in order.

It is easy to say, "I'm praying for you and be blessed, but it is so much more to stand in the gap and be a blessing and prove that there is some action/works to accompany your prayers/faith. James put it this way: "Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, “Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I’ll handle the works department.”
Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.
Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That’s just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?" [James 2:14-20, The Message]

LOVE 1 ANOTHER.