In October, 2000, a new movie was released called “Pay It Forward.” It was about a troubled young boy struggling with his mother’s alcoholism, and the fear of his absentee father. His social studies teacher challenged him to think of something to change the world and put it into action as an assignment. The young boy brings to reality the idea of paying a favor, not back to the originator, but forward to three other people. It is a great movie with a great storyline and something the entire world can learn from. Doing good deeds for someone else, either known or unknown by the giver, can change the world for the better.I read in social media about the elderly, young widows with children, and other people who may be struggling with financial or medical problems and someone unknown to them will step up and help them through a crisis. With this being said the recipients are asked to return the favors not to the one helping them but to pay it forward when they can help someone.Having the opportunity to help someone gives a great feeling of pleasure. To see their faces change from frowns to smiles of relief is worth every bit of whatever we did to help. All of us have the opportunity of being a help mate to someone. All we have to do is step forward and do it.I have been on the receiving end of someone paying it forward to me. As I was waiting in a drive through line at a fast food establishment, I arrived at the window to pay and find out the person in front of me paid for my meal. I have no idea who the person was but now I try to pay it forward to others when I can. When I had surgery in 2015, a young friend of mine from church came and mowed my yard several times. He would not accept any pay or gifts from me for his action; he just said to pay it forward.There are a lot of great people in this world and many are hoping to help someone. There are also a lot of people in the world that are hurting and will never ask for help. We should always be on the lookout for someone we can help through money, food, work around the house, repairs, etc.As I was preparing my Sunday school lesson one week I was reading in 2 Timothy 2:1-2 about the Apostle Paul as he challenged a young Timothy to share Christ and disciple others. Paul had invested much time and effort in teaching and discipling Timothy. He asked Timothy to go forth and do likewise for others as He shared the Good News of Jesus Christ.This is an opportunity for all of us that know Jesus personally to go and tell others the good news. Someone challenged us to do the same thing but many of us hold on to the truth of God’s Saving Grace and never tell anyone about the eternal life that only Jesus can provide. All of us need to be encouragers and witnesses for our Lord and Savior and tell people what Jesus has done for you and how He paid it forward for us. He went to the cross and died so that our sins can be forgiven and it cost us nothing but faith in Him. With this great gift, why don’t we pay it forward to others and tell them what Jesus has done for them?There are a lot of ways to pay it forward and one good deed might not seem like much, but if everyone did something good for someone else, then the cycle of generosity and kindness can spark us to become better people. If we would go out and tell others about Jesus and then they pay it forward to others, then our world would become a better place to live in. Then and only then are we going to see more peace and harmony among the people of the world.PrayerThank you Lord for each and every day that you allow me to have. I pray that I will be bold enough to pay it forward and tell others about your saving grace. Amen.Suggested ReadingsSunday – 2 Timothy 2:1-10; Monday – Isiah 58:10; Tuesday – 1 John 4:11; Wednesday – Deuteronomy 15:7; Thursday – Acts 4:32-35; Friday – Proverbs 29:7; Saturday – Matthew 5:13-16
