Prepare To Be Great
January 14
Greater love has no one than this...
John 15:13
The man stood quietly, head bowed in humility, as he accepted the award for heroism. There was a sense he didn’t feel comfortable with such attention. He did, however, hold the Mayor’s gaze as the man shook his hand and spoke something private. Then, as the Mayor moved on to the next recipient, the man’s gaze returned to the floor.
As the eyes of the audience moved to watch the next person to be honored for a different act of bravery, one pair remained on the man. No one but she truly understood the act of selfless compassion that found him here today; for her life was the life he had saved.
In one blinding moment her world had exploded in twisted metal and fire. Coming upon the wreck just moments after it had happened, this quiet man had risked his life to extricate her from the wreckage of her crumpled and burning vehicle. In the process he had received third degree burns on his hands and arms yet had refused to leave her to die.
He had declined all subsequent interviews, stating he’d done nothing to warrant attention; “I only did what needed to be done.”
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The same selfless attitude that caused this man to shun the accolades of his peers is the very attribute that enabled him to put another’s welfare ahead of his own. Not that he did not value his own life, but rather, was willing to disregard personal injury and risk death in the hope that he might save another.
In our day-to-day life, great love is not usually measured in the literal laying down of our lives. It is more often than not measured in our willingness to be used to meet the every-day needs of those within our sphere of influence.
Each of us has an innate desire to help others; it’s God-given. But fulfilling God’s gift through us requires participation; He never imposes His will on us…even for the sake of another.
Doing the every-day things right, unselfishly helping meet the needs of those around us, prepares our hearts and minds to be inclined to take affirmative action in a perilous situation if called upon. Be prepared.
Prayer
“Help me be a selfless servant to those who need me today, Lord Jesus. Amen.”
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