Max Effort part 4
Sometimes the least you can do is the most you can do. That's the phrase that has been resonating on my heart for the past few days. And my pastor taught me (what seems like) a long time ago to preach it until my heart is empty on it. So I'm going to keep working on this idea. And to me it kind of has two meanings. Because love--giving everything you have and everything you are--isn't always easy. Sometimes the most you can do for someone is something that seems small. I imagine its doesn't seem small to you, because its taking everything you have to do it. And I don't imagine it seems small to them, because if someone is "hard to love" any small gesture they get is probably pretty big. But it might not look like much to the outside observer. I always bring up my cookie story. And, to be fair, my cowoker wasn't hard to love. It just wasn't really in my (old) nature to give up a cookie. So while someone might say, "You shared a cookie. Big deal." To the one who was hungry it WAS a big deal. And to the one who only had one cookie and really wanted to eat it it WAS a big deal. The least I could do was the most I could do. It was, in that circumstance, everything. The other meaning I think this phrase has is that sometimes we try to do too much. We try to fix things that we don't necessarily need to fix. We try too hard and we end up hurting instead of helping. I think this is where the phrase "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" comes from. Now, to be totally honest with you I'm much more concerned with the Highway of Holiness than I am the highway to hell. But the point remains that sometimes when we try to help we end up not helping. Sometimes we make things worse. Because we don't always understand the situation. If you only see the surface stuff your first instinct is probably to just slap a band-aid on it. But what we see is usually not the whole story. I don't think we ever know the WHOLE story. Especially when its someone ELSE'S story. So we jump in feet first trying to save the day and we end up kicking things around and knocking things over without even meaning to. I've been experiencing this quite a little bit lately. People sticking their two cents in where it really isn't needed. And I can appreciate that they want to help... but they really aren't. What I'm trying to say is: Sometimes less is more. Sometimes we need to put our effort into understanding the problem instead of trying to fix it. That's one of the Seven Habits at my son's school--seek first to understand. And it can take a lot of effort. But its worth it in the end. Because the RIGHT Word (Jesus, Love) is better than the first word OR the last word. The RIGHT Word (Jesus, Love) can make all the difference. But if you don't know is needed, you can't hardly meet that need. I think the gospel--God is love, and He loves you, receive and release His love--is pretty simple. And to make it even more simple: See a need and meet it. Take care of people. Give what you've got instead of always trying to get get get. Don't let people dictate to you. Don't give an eye for an eye. Turn the other cheek. Put some effort in where its least expected. Because sometimes where its least expected is where its most powerful. Most needed. And most effective.