Please Care For My Soul!
Psa 142:4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.
This is a sad note. The Psalm was written while David was hiding from Saul in a cave. A dark, damp cave does is not an environment for inspiring joy and optimism. A King to whom you have done no harm maniacally hunting you down doesn’t help much either.
He is crying out to God which is really the only true refuge a person can find and if He is the only one that cares for your soul you are still in great shape. Nevertheless, we humans long for love, comfort, loyalty and many other things from our fellow humans.
Indeed, we are to be Jesus with skin on and as He ministered so are we to minister. I am a people person. Jesus is the ultimate people person. He came to save us and He interacted with people of all levels meeting their needs.
We are not always good at that. We are open to family, friends and some co-workers but folks not in our circle or not quite like us might get closed out. Somebody that sins we run from or sadly, we want to beat them down or give the coup de grace. Brethren, this ought not be so!
Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
If a man be overtaken in a fault or sin? It is more like when a man is overtaken as we all mess up. That is why we who are currently walking in the Spirit and victory need to help or restore him to fellowship with God, but with humility or meekness. Why, because if we are not careful we can be tempted and fall into the same sin. Be careful! When you see someone fall and you think or say. “Good grief! How could they do that! I will never do that!” That is throwing down the gauntlet to the enemy and he will accept the challenge. He has brought down saints stronger than you.
Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Life brings some heavy stuff into our lives besides sin. We suffer loss of loved ones, jobs, health and many other things. These can beat us down to where we even despair of life. We need someone to care for our soul! The law of Christ is to love one another. If we are to be one as He and the Father are one then we need to see ourselves as connected to one another. We are a Body and when the smallest parts of our earthly body hurts or malfunctions it calls the whole body into alert status. That is how it should be in Christ’s Body!
There is a difference between helping people to excel or succeed and enabling them to continue to make bad decisions and stay under that heavy burden. We are to give them a hand up not just a continuing hand out without responsibility.
The Proverbs has verses about the slothful who will not work having a hard life, not a rewarded one. The poor still had to work the field to get the gleanings that were left for them. The farmer did not put the wheat in a barrel and deliver it to them. Paul said that “he that will not work neither shall he eat.” Welfare without accountability is a big problem in this country.
Gal 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
Sometimes we get a bit too big for our spiritual britches. We close ourselves off from the needy and hurting because it is work that is beneath us. We seem to have arrived. When I was an Associate Pastor in a church of 450 both the Pastor and I cleaned the church including the toilets. It was not beneath us. I was taught in the military to lead by example. Jesus taught that as well. No one was beneath Him. No need He would not address.
When we think we should not help the needy, the smelly, the addicted and whatever else may break the crease in our pants we have deceived ourselves that we are somebody other than sinners who are saved by grace. We are not immune to any sin. We just think we are just as the one who fell into sin thought he was immune.
A preacher is said to be have been mentioning the “stinking flesh” several times in a sermon. A lady of means and breeding told him that she took offense to that phrase. He said, “Lady do not bathe for a week and come back and tell me you don’t believe that the flesh stinks.” In a Texas summer it might be in less than week.
Gal 6:4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
Check yourself and if you are doing what you are supposed to do you can rejoice in yourself and not compare yourself to another. It also follows that you are not required to let another judge you unless you are in sin. You only need God’s approval. It is great when brethren dwell together in unity and respect, but you are accountable only to the Word of God and in essence, Christ, for He is the living Word.
Gal 6:5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
This appears to be a contradiction to verse 3, but that refers to the burdens of life that love helps to bear. Here we are going to answer for ourselves to God and not man. This also can be applied as being against welfare without responsibility. We should bear what we can on our own, but not be ashamed to ask for help when it is truly needed.
Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
There are so many needs that we can throw up our hands and just say forget it. After all, did not Jesus say that we would always have the poor with us? True, but He also said that if we care for the ones hungry, naked and in prison we are doing what we could not do for Him so there is no quitting. We do need to be good stewards, but we need to keep on in our well doing.
At times, we may sow, weed, water and sow, weed and water for what seems like forever. Still the harvest does not come without the sowing, weeding and watering. We may see what looks like a drought, but if we stay faithful and do not faint or give up we will reap. We may not see some of our harvest until we get to glory as someone may finally get saved at our funeral. People have prayed for the salvation of someone for decades and it happens after they die. So do not quit.
Gal 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
If we really care for the souls of people we will have opportunities. There are plenty waiting so we cannot say we do not have opportunities. We are to do good to all men not just believers as some people think. Family should be first since he who does not provide for his own is worse than an infidel. In many cases, spiritual brethren are closer than genetic family.
I have given the illustration that two men walk up to you. One is saved and one is not. You have two tens in your wallet. Both men need $10. Easy decision as you give each what they need. But what if both men need $20? The brother in Christ gets the $20 and you see what else you can do for the unbeliever. You may need to take him to a rescue mission or some other agency. True, it may depend on the need, but if neither is life threatening then a tie so to speak falls to the brother.
There are many people, maybe even in our church, that feels like no man cares for their soul. Look around and ask God to show you a need you can fill. Don’t worry as there are plenty of opportunities. If you cannot think of a saint then look for a person not in church and especially if they are a person without faith. You may not only meet a need, but save a soul! Maranatha!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJdElQNxEQA&list=FL_hUeOP8cj5F3qE3YrH18lQ
