Something that was encouraging during the early days of COVID was the generosity and creativity of people. If someone needed something, there were people that were willing to help out. One of the things we did for our volunteers and close connections on the youth staff was to ask if they needed anything and if we could help them out. The second week of COVID, one of our volunteers shared that they weren’t comfortable going out and that they needed toilet paper and due to the shortages they had no connection to get a roll or two for them. One of our staff members grabbed a couple of rolls from the church supply and jumped in their car and dropped off the TP with an encouraging note. The creativity and the generosity toward others was such an encouraging side effect for many of us.
Over time generosity waned and frustration grew. Many of us grew weary and instead of looking to meet people’s needs, we became skeptical and critical. To thrive in 2022 I believe we need to get back to the lifestyle of paying it forward – taking what you have and sharing it, even before there is a clear need. Lets look at 2 Timothy 2 for an encouragement that Paul gave Timothy.
2 Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. 2 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.
Paul reminded Timothy that he was a privileged guy to have heard incredible truth and then seen it backed up many people. The truths he had been taught, he had also experienced and benefited from. And that was great, but not the end of Timothy’s responsibility. Paul not only encouraged but directed Timothy to find other people to continue to share truth by paying it forward to other people. Paul wanted to help Timothy understand that when you are given something that you shouldn’t get comfortable in a position of hoarding but that you should have a desire to share what you have with others. In this instance it was the gift of truth. Paul encouraged Timothy to share truth that he had received with others, but not just anyone, he was to share it with trustworthy people who would share it with others.
I think many of us have become stagnant in the past months. We have let frustrations and obstacles become reasons for apathy which has allowed selfishness to seep in. Many of us have started to focus on the things, trips, activities that we don’t have, that others have. We have begun to live lives of clutching what we have. Paul reminds us to live in a thriving life we need to evaluate what we have and then pass it on. If we have knowledge, who can we pass that on. If we have joy, who in our lives can we pass that joy onto. If we have peace, contentment, kindness who can we pass that onto in hopes that they will pass it on to others. When we reengage focusing on others and sharing with them what we have, amazing things happen and we become people who are alive and thriving. Take time to evaluate what you have and then dream how you can share that with people who will continue to pay it forward.