mount-everest

Our Bible Study teacher was telling us a story this past week about a man who tried to climb Mt. Everest. He reached the ‘dead zone’ and collapsed, suffocating slowly to his death.

Climber after climber passed by this man thinking ‘his climbing buddies will come after him’ or ’surely someone else is coming.’ They walked passed a man completely collapsed and did nothing.

Anyone who hears that story would say, “I would have stopped and helped him.” But would you really?

Last year, my husband and I went through the hardest time of our lives. We had to battle against a group of people for what was right and it was extreamly difficult. We fought and we lost. (At least it seemed that way, but what the enemy intended for evil, God can use for good!)

What happened to us was wrong on more levels than I could ever express however, what those around us did was even more disturbing. They did nothing. Many people were involved in our situation and many of them knew it was wrong but no one said anything.

Even worse, many of them had the power to stop what was going on but they chose not to. Many of them could reverse the situation today if they wanted to but instead they merely share sympathies.

It is not that these are awful people, it is more likely that they said to themselves, “Surely, someone will help them,” “Surely, so and so will fix this.” Never realizing that they were the so and so’s.

How many times has someone told you a need? How many times did you actually try to help them?  How many times have you heard a story about someone and thought, “This person or that person will help them” or “The church will help them.”

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say to you that you are the church and you are the so and so. Maybe the person who is supposed to help is you.

All those climbers passed by that man and did nothing, his life literally passed him by.

Those who could have helped us walked on by, having the power to change the circumstances but instead of doing so they simply acted as though somoeone else would come along.

Although that situation was difficult and cost us a lot, we have learned from it a great deal. One of the most important things I learned was that the person sitting next to me at church is not there by accident. The woman working side by side with me in the office, is not there by accident. The cashier at the register is not there by accident.

I do not believe in accidents. I believe God puts people in our paths and gives us the ability to minister to them-period. I am done with hearing needs and hoping someone else will help them or even worse, telling them “I’ll pray for you” when I know God has given me an ability to actually help them.

Matthew 25: 34-40 says, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

I want to challenge you this week to listen those around you. Ask God to put people in your path that you can help. We are the body of Christ, we are the church, let us not pass by another fallen climber…