Step Outside of Your Own Life

Step outside of your own life and dig into someone else's. Two days ago I posted about living a simple life and by doing that you simply love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your strength. The simple life is also achieved when you love your neighbor as yourself. Those are the two greatest commandments. One thing you need to do in order to love is to step outside of your own 'perfect' life. Quit worrying about yourself and the things that you have to get done today. Stop caring for yourself and what is best only for you. Think about it, how selfish are our everyday lives. We don't want to do things for other people, we save or strength and all of our energy for ourselves and we give the leftovers to God and other people. Our culture has brain washed us to live for self glorification. Look at social media. Everything that you put on there gives your follower the option to like it. What happens when you put something on there and it doesn't get a lot of likes? It probably will get deleted. I am not saying that social media is bad by any means. Many people use it for uplifting others and encouraging others because most of the time the media consist of negative things. I just want you to know, I am not perfect when it comes to social media either. I have had my fair share of slip ups. To be perfectly honest with you, I have deleted tweets in the past when they haven't gotten likes. While I sit here and think about it, that was so childish. I would love to sit here and say that social media doesn't really matter but our culture is changing so much and it's becoming more and more important. Self-glorification...it's everywhere. Do you have to have the newest devices and newest clothing? I know I want the newest things sometimes. Think about how your minds work, we want the newest things to make ourselves look good? What about other people? There are so many people out there who need love. There are so many people out there who need encouragement. There are so many people out there who need someone to talk too. 

So what is the point of everything I just said? The point is that there are people out there who are going through so much and you will never know how to encourage them or pray for them if you are not semi-involved in their lives. Here is a timeline of events that have happened this week to people that I am close with. (remember...it's only Tuesday) Over the weekend I got a text from one of my best friends. The mother is a recovering alcoholic and was tested for cancer on Friday morning. Over the weekend she was put on life support and is still on it this morning too. Sunday night, I get a text from one of my closest friends and she tells me that her grandmother passed away that night. Last night I am texting back and forth with of my friends who deals with a lot of health issues and was told at an appointment yesterday that there could be a possible brain tumor. Those are three serious life circumstances to go through. I am thankful to be invested in those peoples lives because They need someone to be there for them more than ever. To clarify, I am not self-glorifying myself by saying I did this perfect. When I reach out to them, I try to encourage them in such a way that points to God. Chances are, if you start investing yourself into other peoples lives more, that they won't be going through things that are as serious as my three friends but there is going to be something. Life is crazy and you go through so many things everyday and at this age you feel so much. Having people there for you is one of the greatest feelings. I asked my three friends over and over again if there was anything else I could do to help and all they wanted was prayer. Like that's it. Prayer, of all things that they are going through, all the things that they are feeling, all they wanted was prayer. Reach out to someone today. Text a close friend and ask them how they are. Don't stop at the small talk either. They will more than likely tell you that they are fine. Don't we all though? Ask them how they really are, and maybe what they needed was someone to ask and someone to listen. There are sensitive people out there who need people in their lives to encourage them. 

One last thing. I can't finish this post of without sharing this. I have to share this because I feel like my friend has the perfect heart. So my friend who's mom is on life-support has a heart like no other. I was texting back and forth yesterday with her asking how her mom was, asking how she was handling everything etc. Every time I asked if there was anything that I could do she always asked if there was anything that she could do for me? In a time where her mom is on life support. Like I can't even imagine. I really can't put into words how special it is to have a friend who has a heart like that. Losing my parents someday is one of the hardest things to think about and here I have a friend who that might happen too and she is worried about me? If that is not a perfect and selfless heart than I don't know what is. Here is a part of our conversation last night that got me.

me - "If there is anything else I can do, don't hesitate to ask!!!"

friend - "If you ever need anything, you know you can easily text or call! :) " 

me - "Oh, stop it, don't worry about me right now."

friend - "no buddy! hard situations never give me an excuse to not be a good friend to other people." 

What if we all stepped outside of our own perfect lives and had a heart like my friend? Imagine the love that would be going on all the time! Later on that night I texted her again to ask how she was and again, she went straight to asking how I was going. 

I know I didn't put any scripture in here this morning but I hope that I encouraged you to invest into to other peoples lives. You don't even really have to do much besides love and care about other people. Loving and caring is about the greatest investment that there is. How hard is it to love? Love is simple, just like your life will be if you follow two of the greatest commandments. Remember, there is one command, we have one commander and the law is love. Do it. 

I don't like to ask for much but if you read this I know that those three people I talked about and their families need prayer and they need a lot of it. So if you don't mind taking a minute or two to say a little prayer that would mean the world to me. 

If you took time to say a prayer, you're already investing into other people. Keep up the good work!