graphic: Martha G. Brady

Click this link for the other days in the 31 DAYS OF CARE TAKING: ONE DAY AT A TIME.

For many caretakers, the person they take into their home has not always been someone who showed them grace. Often it was a difficult person in their life. For this caretaker, it has been an act of grace to take in this parent, in-law or child. It may have even been their spouse who was not easy to live with during their marriage. But they did it because they knew it was the right thing to do.

As they moved along in the process, they realized they had taken on way more than they could manage. But they were a Christian. They wanted to show this person the love of Christ. It seemed that the more they tried, the harder it was.

Did you misunderstand GOD’s leading when you took this person into your home?

Had GOD led them astray? I can assure you GOD didn’t lead you astray. The problem is that GOD often leads us to do things that are way beyond our ability because it is only then that we realize how much we need Him to rescue us. We don’t just need His assistance here and there, we are drowning! Without His intervention on a large scale, we will die! Everything is going to fall apart!  stop

We wonder why the church in many parts of the world is more vibrant than ours. This is why!

As the American church, we rarely get a hold of that. When I have lived in other parts of the world, I have seen people who have very little. They understand that GOD is going to come through because they have no backup plan. If GOD doesn’t come through for them, they may not eat the next meal. Their child may die of the disease they have. They have no 9-1-1 to call. They may not even have clean water to drink.

Until we (including me!) find ourselves that kind of dependent on GOD, we won’t ever understand the full joy of the gospel! For many of us, caretaking is when we come to the end of ourselves at certain levels and have to depend on GOD in ways we never did before…and we “get” the Gospel in new ways.

If that happens, it is a good thing for everyone isn’t it? I came across this passage about overcoming and knew it applied in so many ways to this person I described above particularly. But it also applies to all us ordinary Christians as well! How do we keep from being overcome by evil? By overcoming evil with good!

How do we do that? Only as we understand that our righteousness is in Christ and it is secure (Galatians 2:21) and that we are well loved and well provided for daughters of our heavenly Father (II Peter 1:3).

This is how the gospel functions for every day. It only happens as GOD rescues us from ourselves; as we are overcome by our own need for Him to live out our faith; and as we allow Him to come through for us in the many places where we cannot be who we need to be!

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 
Live in harmony with one another.
Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.
Never be wise in your own sight. 
Repay no one evil for evil,
but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God,
for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 
To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink;
for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:14-21