A Call to Action | Guest Post by Summer Staffer Carter Mackie

Recently I was out with a group of friends (predominantly Christian) when a man approached us asking for money. One by one each of my friends walked by him and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about doing the same thing. Finally, he said, “Really? None of y’all are going to help me?” I immediately paused and was reminded of the story of the Good Samaritan.  

For those unfamiliar, a man in need was ignored by a priest and a Levite, but a Samaritan man stopped and offered to help. This was a principle that Christ has told us to live by. (Luke 10:25-37) Yet so often, we blatantly dismiss the opportunities we have to further His kingdom.

A lot of this has to do with our mindset. Something that I work on changing daily:

• Instead of focusing on the fear of rejection, we should focus on the chance of relationship.
• Instead of focusing on the “wasting time and resources on a stranger”, we should focus on sharing God’s love with one of His children.
• Instead of focusing on the sacrifice, we should focus on the stewardship of the Lord’s blessings.

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” – 1 Peter 4:10

A mentor of mine once told me, “A true Christian cannot have an equal grip on his Bible and his wallet.” In other words, in order to have a faithful walk with the Lord, we are called to use the resources he has given us to glorify His name and accept our call to action.

In order for the human body to stay alive, blood must be constantly pumped from the heart through the veins to the extremities. The same must be done with the body of Christ: The Lord is the heart, those who believe are the veins, and it is our job to reach the extremities with the blood (the Gospel) that brings life to all that receive it.

I am thankful to realize the areas of faith in which I lack, and to be challenged by God daily. This is the only way to grow and love as He loves us. Through partnering with SOS, I am able to serve and be challenged and confidently grow with the community I have found in Memphis. I am excited to be back and see what the Lord has in store for this summer.