Others For Others …
Giving A Hand Up Over A Hand Out!
What builds a strong community? Is it the parks, the shops, the schools, employment opportunities or some of you may even say all of the above. I don’t hold this train of thought to be true. Don’t get me wrong, these things are great and the community does and will benefit from them, but the strength of the community is the strength of its families.
Different government levels bring different elements to different community needs, but don’t necessarily develop and focus on strong families.
Over the next few years, we will see many challenges and perhaps even greater than what we have endured over the last few years. This may strike alarm bells for any community and the thought of greater struggles can bring fear, but it also brings great opportunity.
With a national housing crisis surrounding us all and with many fearing thoughts of the possibility living in the unknown as well as electricity prices climbing with no answer in sight, food cost increasing, not to mention soaring fuel dollars and the general price of living continuing to go up; where can we look for an answer?
The strength of a community shines brightest when it’s tested. The only question is what will our answer be as a community? Will we answer the call? The government can’t answer it as it’s tied up by bureaucracy and red tape. It’s up to us.
The answer in all of this will be found in two places. The first will start with a question that will need to be answered by the community: Will the community rise? The second will cause a stir, it will conflict with thoughts of rationality. It will take faith to accept and pride will need to be swallowed. But, the answer is simply that it requires nothing but the willingness to accept and respond too. The answer is Jesus. He is the answer to all the world’s problems and if we only accept His ways then so many of the world’s problems would vanish.
The issue that arises is not a question of reality but rather whether we are willing to accept the unorthodox of society. Society is about self, yet Jesus is the complete opposite – a selfless act performed for all mankind thousands of years ago that covers all its wrong doings and all that is needed is the acceptance of His actions for our own, to follow in His footsteps and walk in a manner worthy of His sacrifice.
I guess a question some are pondering is what does it get you? It’s simple. You receive a peace. A peace through the storms of life and the answers to life’s problems as well as an eternity secured. A peace that is priceless. None of us are immune to the harshness of life and problems you will still encounter but possessing a peace through these times of life makes it bearable.
I am qualified to share on this subject because I have endured my fair share of traumatic experiences but having Jesus in my corner enables me to endure through the reality that exists. Living without Him would simply be a greater level of pain that I am simply not willing to endure.
It’s got nothing to do with religion and everything to do with relationship.
It’s about community. It doesn’t even have anything to do with what you might picture church is.
We are a community of people focused on loving our community and doing life with other like-minded people.
It is my intention to stand with my community through whatever might come its way and to give a hand up over a hand out.
We invite you this Sunday to come and meet us. You don’t need to have it all figured out to move forward, just take the next step! We would love to do life with you.
Peter Hartley
Senior Pastor, Dunamis Church