The Bible encourages us to do this, ( Galatians 6:2 "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."), but I sometimes wonder if it's possible to do that in today's world without incurring trouble.
Not that I don't like/wish to lend a helping hand to people in difficulty, but I've found out that your acts of goodwill can sometimes blow up in your face!
I have a friend who had fertility issues. I know this is a sensitive subject for most people, so I wasn't sure whether to talk to her about, or just leave things as they were. I felt I wouldn't be fulfilling my role as a good friend if I ignored the issue, but on the other hand I didn't want to meddle.
In the end I did bring it up and I'm glad I did! It was if she had been looking for a sounding board and we had a long discussion, with me giving her all the advice I knew to give and promising to keep praying for her. Thankfully, she did go on to have children.
It doesn't always work out this well. Infact I've been burned a few times. This has led me to shy away from inquiring into people's problems. Indeed I don't know if, today, I would be as keen to speak to my friend about her situation.
My policy is to wait for a signal, some kind of indication to show that someone actually wants my help. It's best if they actually speak to me about it, aha...then I feel I've been given permission to step in.
The best policy, however, is to listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. We'll be less likely to put a foot wrong then.
What do you think?
Its true. A lot depends on the relationship existing btw both people and on the timing. We just need to be sensitive to the prompting of the Holy spirit cos He is the one that can really give us the right words. Personally I find this a bit difficult especially in cases where someone is grieving over a loss. Its really never easy to know what to say.
ReplyDeleteExactly! Thanks for stopping by.
Delete