09 17 08 Come Back Later
“Suppose you have something to give. Don't say to your neighbor,
‘Come back later. I'll give it to you tomorrow’." (Proverbs 3:28 NIrV)

There are real people with real needs all around us and God is watching to see who is going to respond and how we the church respond in particular. Are we to found faithful with the resources we have? Are we ready and willing to invest in people, especially God’s people? When others are pleading for our time, our prayers, our comfort, our sacrifice, and yes, our resources, will we (those to whom Christ gave His life) say “Come Back Later”?

Real servants pay attention to needs. Servants are always on the lookout for ways to help others. When they see a need, they seize the moment to meet it, just as the Bible commands us: “Whenever we have the opportunity, we have to do what is good for everyone, especially for the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10 GWT). When God puts someone in need right in front of you, he is giving you the opportunity to grow in servant hood. Notice that God says the needs of your church family are to be given preference, not put at the bottom of your things to do list. We miss many occasions for serving because we lack sensitivity and spontaneity.
John Wesley was an incredible servant of God. His motto was:” Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.”
(From Pastor Rick Warren: Real Servants Pay Attention, PurposeDrivenLife.com, a Ministry of Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA 92630)

I’m so glad Jesus didn’t tell me to “Come Back Later” when I asked Him to forgive me, cleanse me, and secure me for eternity. I am so glad my church family did not say “Come Back Later” when I professed my faith in Jesus Christ and asked to become a member of this Body. God help us not to say “Come Back Later” when those who have lost everything need us.

Seriously, do I really have to eat today if I know someone has absolutely no food in their home? Do I honestly (before God) need the new car, the bigger home, the newest outfit? Is it possible for me to fast from lunch for a week and donate that money to those whose home has been washed away by flood? Is it beyond reason to give my last $25-$50 to help those with no hope and put my hope in Jesus to supply what we might need? Would I consider giving up a luxury vacation to sponsor a team to serve a disaster-stricken region for a week, or even go myself?

It’s when we have nothing that we realize Jesus is all we need. Everyone needs Jesus and we all need to share Him with others in need. There is no time to “Come Back Later”!