Insights are short, biblical truths to equip you to lead from your strengths.
As Mrs. Lightner waited in the busy checkout line, her eyes rested on a young family. They were her neighbors! She noticed young Mikayla pulling hard on her mother’s jacket. Meanwhile, Mikayla’s baby sister began to cry in her mother’s arms. Dozens of people crowded by them.
“Where is your older brother?” the young mother snapped to Mikayla. Mrs. Lightner could see that the young woman was exhausted and frazzled. The stress, the demands of being a single parent – it all seemed too much for her.
Mrs. Lightner paused for a moment. She had planned to finish her baking today, but an idea came to mind. It’s just one thing even though I’m busy, she thought. But it’s something I can do.
She guided her shopping cart past three other lines towards her neighbors. “Mikayla, how good to see you – and you too, Tyler.” By now, the older brother had rejoined his family. Mikayla rushed forward for a side hug from her elderly, widowed neighbor.
“I was wondering if your mom would allow you two to come home with me for an hour or so,” said Mrs. Lightner, with a nod to their mom and the kicking baby. “I have some Christmas cookies that need to be iced and decorated.”
The young mother offered a grateful smile. “That would be wonderful,” she said.
Take a Pause and Take a Look
“Take time for Jesus.” What does that mean? Over and over, Christ-followers are admonished to slow down.
What if taking time for Jesus can be simply a matter of stopping to pause and look around?
In a busy and harried day, the act of pausing lets you take time for Jesus. You can let Him in and in the process, you can finish the work he has given you to do that day.
That’s what happened to Mrs. Lightner. And that’s what happened to a man traveling on a treacherous road through the mountains. Like most of us, he probably needed a break during the trip. When he paused, he saw an assault victim on the side of the road.
And like many travelers, the man knew he needed to stop for an overnight stay, anyway. So he loaded the victim onto his on vehicle and traveled a bit more until he arrived at lodgings.
The Good Samaritan took time for Jesus by taking a look around him. Then he used the opportunities and strengths God had given him: transportation, the ability to pay for his stay, supplies.
Just a pause: taking time for Jesus can really be that simple. Even when you’re busy.
Are You One Out of 100?
A week after their chance meeting in the grocery store, Mikayla and Tyler snuggled up against Mrs. Lightner’s arm in the pew on Christmas Eve. Their mom and baby sister sat on Mrs. Lightner’s other side.
“Out of 100 men, one will read the Bible,” said American evangelist D.L. Moody (1837-1899). “The other 99 will read the Christian.”
What will they read in you?
Discover your strengths when you take the Leading From Your Strengths assessment.
More About Using Your Strengths Purposefully
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Your Place in God’s Story: Why Am I Here?
Your Place in God’s Story: What Should I Do?
Your Place In God’s Story: What Difference Does It Make?