Away from the Spotlight

Read Isaiah 58:10-11

Isaiah 58:10, 11 removes our self from the center of our attention. It tells us that if we will focus on giving ourselves on behalf of the hungry and on the needs of the oppressed, then our lives will begin to glow in the darkness, and our shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight (MSG version). It is God who will satisfy our needs and give us a full life, even in the emptiest of places. What a wonderful promise it is!

Loving our neighbor is not a task to do but a gift. We know to ourselves how it feels to be in need and to suffer. Our own sufferings enable us to understand the pain and suffering of others. It helps us love other people better and have compassion to them. Rather than always putting ourselves in the spotlight, focusing on what we need and on our circumstance, let us trade the pain and vulnerability of our own problems for the pleasures and victories of helping others.

How can you bless others today?