Living Beneath Your Privilege

A poor man making his first trip across the ocean took with him a supply of crackers and cheese, thinking it would be too expensive to eat in the ship's dining room. After several days, becoming very tired of the same plain food, he asked the steward how much it would cost to eat one meal at the dining table. Much to his surprise and sorrow he was informed that he had been entitled to eat in the ship's dining room every day without additional charge. He had been living beneath his privilege.

• God wants to be a father to his children. He desires that we use his power.

Ephesians 3:20-21

• He is exceedingly rich in grace, mercy, and love.

Ephesians 2:4-7

• He seeks to fill our hearts with peace

Philippians 4:7

But all of his blessings depend upon our willingness to receive them and use them.

God is actually seeking us day by day and hour by hour, trying to help us and to bring us peace. But we must be willing to let him do so.

Are we trying to solve all of our problems ourselves and living beneath our privileges as children of God?

"We pray to you and call you 'Father'. Help us to live as if we truly believed this. Let us not live beneath this great privilege. Give us proper attitudes and good hearts so we might receive the strength, help, and peace to which we are entitled, and for which Christ gave his life. Receive our prayer in His name...Amen."

Camry Guy

There I was. Staring at the orange digital numbers trying to guess how many gallons the car would hold today. I have never run out of gas in my little Honda (cyber-knock on wood) but I have sure come close. All of a sudden...BAM!...CRUNCH! It was that quick. On the road behind me a custom Chevy van and a small Toyota truck tried to become one and the relationship was doomed from the start.

Some good-intentioned person stopped their Camry in their lane of traffic to allow a van to turn left in front of them (across two lanes) into the gas station parking lot. As you have already figured out, the far lane of traffic did not see the van turning nor did they expect someone to dart in front of them.

There were several factors involved including:

• The van should not have expected to turn across two lanes of traffic during bumper to bumper rush hour.
• The Toyota should have been driving slower with that many blind spots in traffic.
• The Camry should not have stopped to allow the van to cross.

Consider the third point. The driver of the Camry was being polite and helpful by allowing the van to cross in front of them. But I wonder what Camry guy is thinking today:

• "I'll never let someone cross in front of me again."
• "Last time I try to give someone a break."
• "See what happens when you try to help someone?"

Sometimes when we try to help someone we can get hurt, either by their attitude toward us or the consequences of the help we provide. Sometimes they can get hurt by the unintentional consequences of our attempt to help. That doesn't mean we shouldn't help.

I see fewer people who are stepping out to help others because of the fear of repercussions. It seems people can be quick to retaliate if they don't like the help you give or they don't like the results of your help.

The good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) took a chance when he stopped to help a man who had been robbed, beaten, and left for dead. Not only that but a Samaritan was looked down on by the very race to which the injured man belonged.

"What if I myself am attacked?" "What if I am sued for doing the wrong thing?" "What if I am inconvenienced by taking time to do this?" "What if my friends see me helping this guy?"

Jesus asked, "Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise (Luke 10:36-37).

We take a chance when we reach out to help someone else. We place ourselves in a vulnerable position because they can reject, accept, take advantage of , or resent the help we extend. Jesus said we are to love our neighbor just like and as much as we love ourselves (Mark 12:30-31).

Jesus helped others and his efforts got him arrested, beaten, and executed. He didn't consider what might happen if he helped. He considered what might happen if he didn't (Luke 9:22-25).

Thanks, Camry guy, for wanting to do the right thing. Don't let what happened keep you from helping someone else.