Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone

Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone: Podcast notes

Title stolen from Andy Stanley.  For his message click here https://store.northpoint.org/one-not-everyone.html

Canyon Springs Mission Statement: It’s about the one

But it’s also a guilty statement. Because there isn’t just one.  If there was just one it would be easy.  But there isn’t just one.  There are millions.  Millions who need to hear about Jesus.  Millions of people who have needs that we  could meet.  Maybe billions.

If you look at just a 24 hour news cycle it’s amazing. 

We hear about every disaster that happens in the world. Every tsunami.  Every earthquake.  We hear about every angry gunman who walks into a workplace or a school.  We hear about world hunger and human trafficking.  Not only do we hear about these disasters and atrocities, we see pictures and video of them in our living room.  Each time you see a disaster people are displaced and hungry and hurting and need help. 

Our grandparents didn’t have to deal with all of that. 

Then add on top of that personal tragedy that we hear about in our lives.

And where I live in my job in addition to all the stories we all know there are stories that filter into our church that I hear about.

When you add up all of these hardships and disasters and tragedies, it really is overwhelming.  What’s really frustrating is, in most cases, I can’t do anything about it.  I don’t think this is the right answer, but there are times when I’m hearing about all this stuff going on in the world and the tragedy around me that I just want to shut down and block it all out.  I just want to stop listening to it.  Unplug my TV.  Cancel my newspaper subscription.  Turn off my phone.  It’s just so much. 

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:9,10

Do you ever just get tired of being good?  Do you ever get tired of doing the right thing?  I made a list

Do you ever get tired of

Taking the high road

Volunteering while other people sit on the sideline

Asking forgiveness when you don’t think you were wrong

Picking up someone else’s dishes

Making the bed even though you weren’t the last one out of it

Listening to someone else’s problems even though yours are bigger

Adjusting the toilet seat

Cooking without getting complimented

Not drinking in front of the kids

Staying PG when you want to go R

Limiting yourself to shoot and darn it

Watching project runway when you want to watch the football game (okay, too personal)

Being good can be exhausting.

Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.

Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.  You don’t have to do for everyone.

Let me take you back to your school years.  Did this ever happen to you.  You came up to a teacher and you asked them.  “Hey, can I leave class a few minutes early to go to the bathroom.”  And your teacher said something like this, “If I let you go, then I have to let everyone go.”

You don’t have to do for everyone.  Just do for one.

Our problem is that we live in this world of poverty and hunger and sex trafficking and drug trafficking and we are faced with all these overwhelming issues so we think to ourselves, it’s too big, I can’t make a difference, I can’t change it so instead of doing something we do nothing.   I’m going to do for no one because I can’t do for everyone. 

Go deep rather than go wide

Rather than trying to help a lot of people a little, try to help a few people, even one person a lot. 

God long term rather than short term

If you are going to really help someone or change a life it’s going to take time.  You have to be in it for the long term. 

Go time not just money

The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne.  In the author made a statement that not only do we not care about the homeless we don’t even know the name of one homeless person.

https://www.amazon.com/Irresistible-Revolution-Living-Ordinary-Radical/dp/B0044L940S/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CCWW3KRP56NN6T46VJCY