Take the Initiative

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'” Acts 20:35

When the Good Samaritan saw the wounded man the priest and the Levite ‘passed by’, he took the initiative and went out of his way to help him. Jesus ended His parable by saying, ‘…Go and do likewise.’ (Luke 10:37). Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart, taught all his employees ‘The 10-Foot Rule’. It says, ‘I promise that whenever I come within 10 feet of a customer I will look them in the eye, greet them and ask if I can help them.’ As a result, stores worldwide implement Sam’s rule every day. Most of us recognize the value of taking the initiative. We acknowledge its importance in relationships, yet we still don’t do it. We wait for the other person to make the first move. But all that does is lead to missed opportunities. Pastor Malcolm Bane observed, ‘If you wait until you can do everything for everybody, instead of something for somebody, you’ll end up not doing anything for anybody.’If you’re serious about helping others don’t wait—initiate! The ‘perfect moment’ seldom arrives. An old Jewish proverb says, ‘The wise do at once what the fool does at last.’ Initiating a conversation often feels awkward. Offering help means risking rejection. Giving to others can lead to misunderstanding. You won’t feel ready or comfortable in such moments; you just have to learn to get past those feelings of awkwardness and insecurity. To help people, you must go ahead and do what others never quite get around to. So right now take the initiative. Go out on a limb—that’s where the fruit is.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me initiate contact with others to serve them. In Jesus’ Name, Amen