Bringing hope and love to others

Where has the time gone? Here we are at the beginning of 2012 and if you are like me you are wondering what this next year will hold for us.

We hear about the predictions that 2012 will be the year the world will end, but those predictions were made twice last year so I don’t put much stock in those predictions.

What we do know is that violence and corruption dominate the headlines, marriages are shattered by deception and infidelity, governments are bloated and crooked. It seems that greed, debauchery, and selfishness rule the day.

Instead of focusing on those things, I believe we should all strive to make this year one in which we can be helpful, constructive and positive to all we come into contact with, especially those with little to no hope.

This is one of the important themes of Jesus’ life. In the historical book known as Acts, author and historian Dr. Luke describes this: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit, and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him” (Acts 10:38).

All of our lives should be to serve others the way Jesus Christ did — offering healing, loving, helpful touches. Jesus went about doing good, lifting people up and loving them, rather than hurting and hindering them. He sought to be a blessing to them and build them up, rather than tearing them down and condemning them.

This year all of us need to do examine our lives, our attitudes and actions. Are we doing good, helping and healing? Do we really care about people and our community?

Some people are not concerned by the damage they cause. We need to learn how to manage in a world that doesn’t seem to care about others — whether they survive or not, succeed or not.

There are three main traits that Jesus Christ demonstrated in his relationship to other human beings that should be exhibited in our relationships, too.