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the Good Samaritan saw the wounded man the priest and the Levite
'passed by', he took the initiative and went out of his way to help him.
Jesus ended His parable by saying, '...Go and do likewise.' (Luke 10:37
NKJV). Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart, taught all his employees
'The 10-Foot Rule'. It says, 'I promise that whenever I come within 10
feet of a customer I will look them in the eye, greet them and ask if I
can help them.' As a result, stores worldwide implement Sam's rule every
day. Most of us recognise the value of taking the initiative. We
acknowledge its importance in relationships, yet we still don't do it.
We wait for the other person to make the first move. But all that does
is lead to missed opportunities. Pastor Malcolm Bane observed, 'If you
wait until you can do everything for everybody, instead of something for
somebody, you'll end up not doing anything for anybody.' If you're
serious about helping others, and you want to walk in God's blessing,
don't wait--initiate! The 'perfect moment' seldom arrives. An old Jewish
proverb says, 'The wise do at once what the fool does at last.'
Initiating a conversation often feels awkward. Offering help means
risking rejection. Giving to others can lead to misunderstanding. You
won't feel ready or comfortable in such moments; you just have to learn
to get past those feelings of awkwardness and insecurity. To help
people, you must go ahead and do what others never quite get around to.
So right now take the initiative. Go out on a limb--that's where the
fruit is.
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