Notice the Problem

Greetings in Jesus name. May I take a moment to encourage you? You are doing a good job, you are growing, you are being cared for, you are loved, you are still in this place where God is constantly working on your heart and life; this week you are going to see so many new things being added into your life. Some of these things may come as surprises; it can be relationships, people that God will bring into your life so that you can be a blessing, encouragement to them. Not everyone is going to be your church member, not everyone might agree or subscribe to your viewpoint, but you can still encourage them, you can notice the struggles that they are going through.

So often we are so self-obsessed that we only think about own selves. Such was the case in Josephs’ life. The Bible says that Joseph was wrongly accused, he was distressed, hurt, he was feeling betrayed. Genesis 40:6 says, “When Joseph saw them the next morning, he noticed that they both looked upset.”*Joseph, he noticed. He was not so self-obsessed that he failed to see what the people around him were going through. He was actively paying attention to what people around him were going through. In spite of Joseph being in chains, his eyes still were noticing people who were going through trouble. Today I believe this will be an encouragement for you to do the same.

It might not always be the most likeable people or well-dressed people or people whom you like! There are lots of different kinds of people who are going through hurt or trouble or brokenness. But today if you acknowledge your desire to be a blessing to them, God will open up your eyes to their hurt, struggle, pain or trouble. Today keep your gaze fixed on the people around you till God shows you what pain or trouble or struggle they are going through. And then God will use you to be an answer, a solution, a blessing to people in their life. I want you to go to the office today asking God to give you access to peoples’ hearts and minds. Sometimes God would use the words you speak and the prayers you pray to open up people’s life to you. What really matters is your willingness and your availability. We cannot be so hurt and challenged and distressed that we fail to understand that the Lord has placed us in this world to be the salts and light of the world. This means that there will be people placed in your life who don’t have the answers, solutions to their problems and you have to be the light, you have to be the taste providing material, the salt of the earth in their family, finances, relationships.

If you will just take the time to notice! You may need to slow down and de-prioritize. You know the story of the good Samaritan. There were three people who went past the man who was lying down on the road to Jericho. The first and second guys were too busy. I am sure the third guy was also busy but he had to change his priorities around. He was being a good neighbour to the man on the road to Jericho.

Today God is showing you the face of that one person with whom you might have travelled and also showing you their pain/trouble/struggle. Can you be the solution, can you be the light carrier, can you be the salt?

We often pray that God would use you the way He used Joseph but seldom do we ask for access into peoples’ life to help them with their problems. The ability to be a blessing to the nation starts with your willingness to help the two ordinary people struggling with you in your own unknown prison.