Dear Jesus...People are a Hot Mess!

Dear Jesus, People are a Hot Mess!

Being the hands and feet of Jesus can be dirty. Matter of fact it can be down-right messy. You may get dirty, literally! You may be broken, abused and used! Are you willing to take the risk? Helping others is not an easy job whether you do it as a “profession” or “ministry,” or whatever term you want to use.

Some people just want to use who ever they can, when they can to get by in life. I am not saying to not help these types of people, but set your boundaries very clear and do not give in! They will burn you out so fast and put a really bad taste in your mouth for ever wanting to try to help someone again! Do not be surprised if they get mad at you the minute you tell them no. This isn’t your issue to worry about. It is theirs.

Some people know they need help and are willing to receive it. They are willing to take whatever help they can get and are more than grateful for the helping hand. Those are the people who are easy to help and make your job easier, in some ways. These are the people who you may tend to worry about the most.

Then there are people who you feel like you have to drag kicking and screaming the whole way. And you think “why am I doing this?” Well, why are you? Maybe they don’t want your help. Maybe they are not ready for it. Maybe they don’t seem to think they have a problem with their actions. These are the people that you as the helper may need to back off and let them fall flat on their nose!

If you are putting more effort into helping them then they are in helping themselves, there is a problem! Sometimes a big one! You may be doing more harm then good!  If you are a people person and want to help who ever you can, you need to know your limits.

You are not Jesus. You only have so much energy and effort you can give to a person or situation. There comes a point when helping others that you may need to take a step back and evaluate what you are doing. It is true there are times that things are not about you as a person. Jesus is calling you to help someone and giving you the resources to do so. These are the times that you can see fruit in your effort.

So, how do you help someone in need? Well, myself as a professional I have a list of community resources and networks of other professionals I can call to back me up. This helps me out in times when I know I have a client who needs food or clothes, or some other basic need. I can give them numbers or call on their behave and find out information to help meet that need.

For someone who is not a trained professional, this may be more of a struggle. You want to reach out and help the hurting and the lost. Get connected with your church and find out if there is someone in your church who may know how to help someone who can give you some guidance and direction. If this is not something that you can find through someone else, google it! See what resources are available in your area. This is how I created my list. I have a spread sheet in a binder that I use to keep this information handy. I then do my best to update the information about once a year.

Jesus called us to seek and save the lost, broken, and helpless, but He also warned up to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves. So be wise in the ways you help others. Be prepared to get dirty or down-right messy in the process! You know the saying you can tell how much fun you had by how dirty you get! So, go have fun and serve!