The Helping Hand

Galatians 6:1-2 – Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (NIV)

A mother dog and eight puppies! You've got to be kidding! That's all we need: nine more dogs to look after.

Penny had been discovered in a junk yard under an abandoned vehicle. Workers from the Humane Society had to pull her out and carry her into the animal shelter as she was so pregnant with her pups that she was unable to stand or walk. The temperature was below freezing. Penny delivered her pups, all eight of them, alive and healthy, less than forty-eight hours later. Left alone outside, uncared for, she and the pups would have perished.

How often do we or our fellow brothers and sisters become so pregnant with sinful burdens that we become unable to stand spiritually or emotionally and carry ourselves forward in life! We live in a fallen world. Temptation is everywhere. We are weak and frail human beings who, too often, without even trying, succumb to crushing burdens of sinful thought or behaviour. And what a terrible pregnancy it is when brothers and sisters in Christ turn away from our plight. Left alone without the helping hand of compassion, I wonder how many have fallen and continue to fall by the wayside of life, never to rise again.

Our loving heavenly Father is very much aware of this human problem and thus called upon the apostle Paul to write these words of truth, which command each of us as Christ's brothers and sisters to lend a humble helping hand to those caught under the burden of sin. He knew that in reaching out in love and compassion many would be freed from their crushing loads, allowing them to give birth to newfound faith, hope, and encouragement in Christ Jesus.

To whom might you or I be able to humbly reach out a helping hand today?

Prayer: Dear Lord and heavenly Father, we thank You for Your love and compassion. You are so aware of our frailty and struggles against temptation and sin. Please strengthen us, each one, this day, to live for You and You alone. Bless us also, we pray, with humble hearts of discernment and compassion, that we might, as needed, lend a gentle helping hand. Amen.