This is a true story about a Christian who acted in
obedience to the Holy Spirit within the Romans 12:6-8
gifting he has received from God. I will call him Friend.
Friend had a job to be done for which he needed a few
labourers. He knew he would find willing hands on a street corner to help him,
and hired four men. About three hours into the day he realized he would need at
least one more man otherwise they would not finish in time.
Since the town, where he found the workers, was quite far
away from the site where they worked, he was not really keen to drive all the
way there, and resolved that they would try and make it with the hands he had.
The Lord God, however, had other plans. Friend's job that he
assigned to himself was to load the trailer and drive the foliage to the dump.
Soon after he had realized that he actually needed another worker, it became
time to dump another load. As soon as he had turned onto the main road that
leads to the town where he had found the men, and also to the nearby dump, a
man waved him down.
He was dressed like a painter, which in fact he was.
Friend told him he was only going to the dump a kilometre down the road and not
to the town where Painter was headed. When Painter offered to help him unload
the trailer at the dump, Friend realized that this was a divine appointment and
hired him. Little did he know what the Lord God had in mind. Painter identified
himself as a Christian.
Painter's job became loading and unloading the trailer
together with Friend. During their trips to the dump they became friends and
impacted one another's lives under guidance of the Holy Spirit.
As they drove through the village where they did the job,
Painter pointed out two houses he had painted and also offered Friend his
business card. Friend liked what he saw when he observed the paint jobs on the
houses and felt led to design a one page website to promote Painter, which he
did for free and hosted as a sub domain to his own domain. In the next couple
of weeks he took pictures of some of Painter's work as well as of Painter on
the job.
A week after Friend had launched the website Painter had
three houses to paint, all as a result of the website. The two of them kept
contact and six weeks after he had launched the website, Friend came to the
area again and Painter asked to see him. He overflowed with joy and could not
stop hugging Friend. He told Friend that he now had a staff of five painters
and had purchased himself a small car.
When the Lord arranged the divine appointment between the
two of them, Painter was poor and struggling to get work. He was faithful in
that he marketed himself by handing out a simple business card he had printed,
but had little work and hungry children. God had heard his prayers and knew
about the hobby His servant, Friend, has - website design.
And the outcome - provision for a poor man who was
prepared to use what he had. Painter stays faithful in marketing himself, but now
has a web address on his card. Clients are able to see his work before they
contact him and therefore contracts are flooding in.
Painter also heeded Friend's exhortation to deliver
excellent work, something he previously neglected due to a poor man's attitude.
The website makes him feel professional and so does having staff he is
responsible for, as well as the fact that he has wheels. Therefore he delivers
professional work.
The Lord gifted all people with the intention that we
should serve one another with what we have. He does not necessarily want
everything to be formalized, but only wants His children to be there for one
another with what we have to offer.
“By this all
will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another,” (John
13:35). What is it you have available that someone else may need.
If you listen for guidance from the Holy Spirit, He will lead you in the right
direction and your joy will be full.
It is vital, though, that you give your best and walk the
extra mile. “And whatever
you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,” (Colossians 3:23).
Friend told me he made the website appear professional and appealing; exactly
the way he would have done it for himself. He took trouble to go out and take
pictures, searched for relevant links on the Internet that customers would
appreciate, and so on.
Jesus went all the way in serving total strangers with
what He had, in obedience to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, according to the
will of the Father. If all Christians have the attitude that the Lord Jesus had,
the world would see Jesus in us and desire change.
Romans 15:1-9: “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please
ourselves. Each of us should please
our neighbours for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: ‘The
insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.’ For everything that was
written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the
endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might
have hope.
“May the God who gives
endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that
Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Accept one another, then, just as Christ
accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell
you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s
truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.”
Father, please guide me as I obey you in displaying the
attitude Jesus had.
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