HELP YOUR BRETHREN

“…But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them.” ~ Joshua 1:14

REFERENCE:

Joshua 1:12-16

The measure of true success is not in one’s achievements or accumulation but in helping others to achieve success too. It is the grander vision that many have lost today in a world where things have become tough and self-focus (or selfishness) is unconsciously on the rise. One can hear it in our prayers: “Bless me, give me, heal me.” The thoughts of how we will break free from poverty and the rat race occupy us, but God wants you to help your brethren.

Joshua ordered the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, whom God had already settled in their lands and inheritances, to consider themselves not yet settled until they helped their brethren to settle in their lands and inheritance. Although God had given these two-and-a-half tribes rest on one side of the Jordan, they were to cross over with the remaining tribes – their brethren, to the other side of the Jordan to help them also to enter and experience rest.

It is striking that Joshua said, “You shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them.” Helping their brethren would inconvenience them and come at a significant cost. They would have to fight to ensure their brethren were settled. This behavior goes against the selfish nature in us that thinks ‘me, myself, and I’ and would not be bothered with anyone.

True Christianity should make believers have the same concern for one another. He whom God has blessed should not isolate himself from the rest and consider himself settled and with no need of or for further fellowship. Instead, he should be available to contribute and exert himself to advance, settle, and help his brethren. If you have been comforted, comfort another in turn.

Jesus’ success was that His disciples could do both the works He did and greater works. Moses once said, “I wish all of God’s people were prophets.” Find ways to help your brethren by giving them fish and teaching them how to fish. Until those around a prosperous man are prosperous, their constant demands and reliance on him will soon diminish his wealth.

PHOTO QUOTE

ADDITIONAL TEXTS:

I Corinthians 12:20-27, I John 3:16-17, II Corinthians 1:3-4

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PRAYER:

+ Lord, teach me to understand the morality of prosperity – that the reason for wealth and success is to help my brethren. May I not lose focus on that?

+ Lord, make my life more of contribution and distribution than just accumulation.

+ May it be said of me at the end of it all, “He/She made these many people a success.”