In the panic that followed his collapse, his wife frantically dialed 911, and then rushed outside for help. She found John across the street mowing his lawn. Although the sound of the mower drowned out her cries, the look on her face told him something was terribly wrong. He threw the mower in Park and was off and running before it stopped moving.
As an employee at a large manufacturing plant, John had been trained in CPR. Although I don't know if he's ever used the first aid technique at work, he had performed it on another neighbor who collapsed several years ago.
His professional training kicked in as he knelt beside the fallen body of our neighbor. When he felt no pulse, he began chest compressions and rescue breathing. He continued until EMS arrived.
Sadly, my neighbor didn't make it. His weakened heart was too badly damaged to survive. But John was a hero anyway, because he did what he was called to do. By virtue of the training he had received, John knew he was obligated to come to the aid of anyone in distress. But John didn't respond to my neighbor's cries for help out of a sense of obligation. John did the right thing out of love.
As Christians, we bear a similar responsibility. While we don't all have the ability to breathe air and pump blood for someone who is physically dead, we do have the ability to deliver a message of life and hope for those who are spiritually dead. When we accept the gift of eternal life, we also accept the privilege and responsibility of sharing this life with those around us.
As the writer of First Corinthians says, "He who has been given a trust must prove faithful."
While the lost around us don't always come waiving their arms in panic, publicizing their need for help, we can still recognize the difference between one who is spiritually alive and one who is not. Like John checked my neighbor's pulse, we too can put our fingers on the pulse of those we cross paths with to check for signs of spiritual life.
And if the pulse is weak or non-existent, it's time to go to work.
John began his day in a very mundane way. Before it was over, he had the chance to save a life.
Before this day is over, you may have the chance to save a life for eternity. Will you be ready?
"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have (1 Peter 3:15).
You want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.
You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:
• Is my situation hopeless?
• If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray?
• Why have you allowed this to happen to me?
• No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit?
Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day.
Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you.
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