To Serve Others, You Must First See Them

Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” Acts 3:4

The Bible says: ‘A certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him…Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them – walking, leaping, and praising God’ (vv. 2-8). This miracle begins with the words: ‘And fixing his eyes on him…Peter said, “Look at us.”’ And it continues with the words: ‘He took him by the right hand and lifted him up.’ In certain Zulu areas of South Africa, people greet each other with a phrase that means ‘I see you’. Could this be God’s strategy for human hurt? First, kind eyes meet desperate ones. Next, strong hands help weak ones. Then, the miracle of God. We do our small part, He does the big part, and life at the Beautiful gate begins to be just that – ‘beautiful’. To serve others you must first see them, and to lift them you must first love them because you know Jesus does.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to see the hurt in others and to touch them and let Your Spirit work with what only You can do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen