Giving
The Gift Of Life
A TV commercial urges, "Give the gift of life today." It encourages
people to give to the local blood bank. One program talks about disadvantaged
children around the world and pleads with us to "give life" to these
children by sending money to help feed and educate them. Give the gift
of life! It is wonderful to realize we can give the gift of life to
those whose lives and well-being depend on us.
Give life. That's what Jesus did when He came to helpless, hopeless
humanity. That's what our Heavenly Father did by sending His only begotten
Son. To give or not to give life is not an option for the believer;
it's a responsibility. If one has experienced being born again, he must
share it.
Our churches and Sunday schools must accept the responsibility and
privilege of giving life. Often we look at people around us and fail
to be moved by their condition.
We engage in activities that make us feel good about ourselves. We
involve ourselves with good things, but fail to be about the Father's
business of "Giving Life."
T.O. Wedel's story about a lifesaving station reveals some important
truths about Sunday schools and churches.
On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occurred was a small
lifesaving station. The building was just a hut and there was only one
boat, but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea.
With no thought for themselves, they went out day or night, tirelessly
searching for the by
So many lives were saved by this wonderful little station that it became
famous. Many of those who were saved and others wanted to give their
time, money, and effort to support its work. They bought new boats and
trained new crews.
The station became a popular gathering place for its members. Few were
interested in going to sea on lifesaving missions, so they hired lifeboat
crews to do this work. The lifesaving motif still prevailed in the club
decoration, however, and there was a liturgical lifesaving boat in the
room where member initiations took place.
One night a large ship wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought
in boats loaded with cold, wet, nearly drowned people. They were dirty
and sick. Some had black skin, and others had yellow skin.
As the crew worked to save lives, the beautiful new club became messy.
So the property committee had a shower house built outside where the
victims of shipwrecks could be cleaned up before coming into the main
facility.
At the next meeting, there was a split among the club members. Most
of them wanted to stop the lifesaving activities as being unpleasant
and a hindrance to the normal activities of the club. Some members,
however, insisted that lifesaving was their primary purpose, and pointed
out that they were still called a lifesaving station. These members
were voted down and told that if they wanted to save the lives of shipwrecked
people, they could begin their own lifesaving station down the coast.
They did.
As the years went by, the new station experienced the same changes
that had occurred in the old one. It evolved into a club, and so another
lifesaving station was founded. If you visit that coast today, you will
find a number of exclusive clubs along that shore. Shipwrecks are still
frequent in those waters, but most of the people drown.
What is your Sunday school? A real lifesaving station or an exclusive
club? Here are some suggestions to help your Sunday school and church
be a lifesaving, life-giving station.
1. Create a lifesaving, life-giving mentality among your members.
Teach that the lostness of man is a reality. People are lost if they
don't have a personal relationship with Jesus. The lost will spend eternity
without God.
Stimulate compassion and concern for the lost. The first step is to
be aware of others' needs. Exposure to the needs and hurts in people's
lives creates concern.
Keep the focus on outreach. In your Sunday school activities, programs,
classes, and curricula, make outreach a priority. Don't plan to minister
only to those inside the walls of the church. Plan to minister to those
outside as well.
2. Enroll the unchurched in your Sunday school.
Identify the unchurched friends, neighbors, and relatives of your church
family. Write their names on your class rolls. Have the class pray regularly
for them. Encourage each class to reach the unchurched people who are
on its enrollment list
3. Develop relationships with lost persons.
People need people. They desire supportive relationships. Sunday school
is the best place to build relationships. The Sunday school that builds
relationships with non-Christians will be able to give life.
Visit the unchurched. Encourage members to visit the unchurched to
build relationships and ultimately make new disciples for Christ
4. Train people to always be lifegivers.
The early Christians "went everywhere preaching the Good News about
Jesus" (Acts 8:4, TLB). Our whole purpose for being is to witness for
Christ. When evangelism becomes a consuming passion in our Sunday schools,
they will be life-giving stations.
Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might
have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). Life, not death. Life, not constant
hopelessness. Life, not nagging guilt and condemnation. Life----filled
with abundant joy, overwhelming peace, and eternal hope. Give the gift
of life through your Sunday school by making it a place where people
find the abundant life that Jesus offers to all.
