The story is told of a man who once got in trouble for helping someone. Because he had been raised in a rural area, he was in the habit of stopping to assist troubled motorists. But when he stopped in a large city to offer help to someone who was stranded, he was shot, robbed, and left for dead. However the story had a happy ending. The man recovered from his injuries, and because of his experience he gained a deeper confidence in God. In fact, He still believes that helping others is the right thing to do.While I’m not suggesting that we stop for every stranded motorist, the New Testament does tell us that when we help others, we are bound to run into trouble — especially when what we offer is the good news of the gospel (2 Timothy 3:12; cf. Acts 4:13-20; Acts 5:19-33). Sooner or later we will meet with resistance. Yet, as in the above story, this trouble will also have a happy ending.
From the Scriptures, we know the apostle Paul was battered, bruised, hated, and harassed (2 Corinthians 4:7-18; 2 Corinthians 11:24-28). But he expressed the heart of a man who was doing exactly what he wanted to do. He was working with God for the spiritual rescue of people who would someday fill eternity with their appreciation (1 Corinthians 3:6-9; 2 Corinthians 4:15). He knew that in the end the Lord would confirm the eternal value of his efforts. And that was worth all the trouble he encountered in helping others. Let’s follow the example of the loving apostle Paul and help others, no matter what the consequences.
—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets
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