Are You A Lifter Or a Leaver?

John Clardy

Luke 10:30-33

30            And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

31            And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32            And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

33            But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

34            And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

Ask yourself this question; Am I a lifter or a leaver? Am I a person that looks at the fallen and offer only an opinion and then walk away and leave them the same way, or do I see those in need and remember that one day someone helped me and lifted me up and the least I can do is try to lift up someone else.  We are never more like Jesus than when we try to lift others up!   That is the reason we celebrate this season of Christmas, because He who was Sovereign entered the world as a servant, to seek and to save, to lift up that which was lost!

The following is an excerpt from the writings of inspirational author and speaker, John Maxwell.   I wanted to send it along to you as food for thought.  When you read it, read it objectively and honestly and ask yourself which of these people best describes me?

Years ago, I came across a piece about someone who fell into a pit and couldn’t get out—and how others treated that person.

A subjective person came along and said, “I feel for you down there.”

An analytical person said, “Well, it’s logical that someone would fall down there.”

A self righteous person said, “Only bad people fall into pits.”

A mathematician calculated how the individual fell into the pit

A news reporter wanted an exclusive story on the person in the pit.

A fundamentalist said, “You deserve your pit.”

A Calvinist said, “If you’d been saved you would have never fallen in that pit.”

An Armenian said, “You were saved and still fell in that pit.”

A charismatic said, “Just confess that you’re not in that pit.”

A realist came along and said, “Now that’s a pit.”

A geologist told him to appreciate the rock strata in the pit.

An IRS worker asked if he was paying taxes on this pit.

The county inspector asked if he had a permit to dig the pit. 

A self-pitying person said, “You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen my pit.”

An optimist said, “Things could be worse.”

A pessimist said, “Things will get worse.”

Jesus, seeing the man, reached down and took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You heard my cry for help and saw me in the pit I had fallen into.  You had compassion on me and lifted me up out of the miry clay and set my feet on a solid rock.  Help me to always remember that pit that You dug me out of so that I will not judge others that have fallen into a pit.  Help me show my thankfulness for what you did for me by helping lift up others! Help me to be a lifter and not a leaver. Amen.