My Book Report (Ch. 22): Every Day A Friday

Help Other to Win

Beloved, chapter twenty-two is a touchy subject to say the least. Not so much of a personal one for me, but I boldly say, for the world at large! The human race, in that it is seen as a rat race and lives by the motto, “It’s a dog-eat-dog world.” In that statement alone lies the problem and the troubles for countless human beings all over the world.


You cannot expect to see things as a dog-eat-dog world, and not experience getting bitten by others in the process, if you yourself, aim to bite and tear at others.

Jesus has quite the radical viewpoint on this...


A paradox in comparison to the world’s view, in that Jesus says, “Do onto others as you would like done to you” yet the world knew this as ‘do to others as they do to you.’ Or in other words, “an eye for an eye.”


Biting and tearing, wanting blood for blood and seeking out revenge is all part of this misconstrued attempt at superiority in the words it’s a dog-eat-dog world.


In the Kingdom of heaven according to Jesus, it’s more profitable to do to others as you would like done to you. It’s more profitable to serve others instead of serving yourself. To love your enemies. To do good to those who hate you. To bless those who curse you and spitefully use you. To go the extra mile for others rather than take a step over them on your way up.

So, what is Jesus telling us? There is no credit to your life unless you are generous with all that you have, and all that you are, and all that you do.

The greatest moments of  “helping others to win,” is not in doing and giving to those you know or those that can repay you. It’s in those who cannot repay, and those who seem to be not likely to end up on your list of friends.


Beloved, Joel mentions these words in chapter twenty-two of Every Day A Friday. This chapter titled, “Help Others to Win” keeps speaking this fundamental truth to me, that shows the heart of God, when it comes to the Kingdom of heaven according to Jesus, “But the truth is, when you hold others back, you are really holding yourself back. If you will live unselfishly and help others reach your level, God will make sure somebody is there to lift you higher, too.” Amen to that!


As we all spend more and more time getting to know the heart of God, through the life of Jesus in the Gospels, this fundamental truth is undeniable, that it’s better to give than to receive. Amen.


Beloved, there’s no greater legacy then helping someone else win. There’s no greater reward than seeing someone of a low state be lifted higher by your hand of willingness and generosity. I am convinced of this: There’s no way to live a successful life from the viewpoint of heaven when selfishness is the acidy bitter taste of your life.


I’m reminded by The Lord to share this with you to encourage you exactly where you are at. Beloved, with what you know, and what you can do and what influence you have; how can you deliberately and intentionally do for another that they couldn’t do for themselves?


Think about that and then put it into action...


As I have mentioned in chapter nineteen (in my Takeaway from the chapter), it doesn’t take much to bless someone’s life. Whether time invested, an encouraging word or some creative thinking on your part, you can be that person who becomes a DREAM RELEASER in the life of another person.


Releasing dreams isn’t some magical thing, and it’s not necessarily something monumental. Being a dream releaser could be as easy as giving the pocket change you have on you for someone who needs to catch the bus to get somewhere.


Beloved today, being (October 4, 2012), was just a day of dream releasing in my life, and I wasn’t even aware of it. I accompanied my mother to her chiropractic appointment, and as I waited for her, I grew hungry and anyone who knows me, knows that pizza and I are very fond of one another.

I decided to go next door and get a couple of slices and eat outside as I waited for my mom to be done with her appointment, and as I walked out of the restaurant, a young man approached me and explained to me that he was kicked out of his house and was trying to make it to his other families house miles away, but had no money for a bus ride.

I didn’t have much, but I said to him, let me see what I have then I can help you out. I put my pizza box down, and dug into my pants pocket and grabbed everything I had. It probably amounted to just under two dollars, but it was all his now.


That isn’t much of a big story to most, but the dream releasing didn’t stop there. Just at that moment unbeknownst to me, someone I know very little that I’ve seen in my church came walking out of a nearby establishment and he witnessed the whole thing, yet the dream releasing didn’t end there either! As I was engaging this young man who needed some bus fare, and saying hello to the other young man from church, my mother was already walking towards me and she witnessed it all as well!


Beloved, I share the above with you not for you to see me as a generous man, because that isn’t my aim in the testimony above, but that you can see that unselfish living to be a dream releaser in any capacity in the life of others is rewarded by God. As two people were witnesses of the fundamental truth, it’s better to give than to receive. Amen!


Truly, extending the grace of God to others, is like releasing a dream releasing agent into the hearts and minds of others— It’s contagious!


Beloved, the Kingdom according to Jesus is all about serving others, generosity, doing for others who can’t do for themselves, giving freely of your time, talents and treasures. Lifting others up so they too, can experience what true success is... An unselfish life that spells out grace, mercy and love. Amen.



My Takeaway & Prayer:

Life isn’t about winning and losing. It certainly isn’t about climbing your way to the top and not caring who you step over or hurt in order to get there. A successful life is about extending grace to others, that ordinarily cannot do for themselves.


Father and amazing God, I praise You for Your willingness, truly Your grace to allow us to experience the life of Your Son Jesus freely. All we need to do is receive Him and in turn You help us to declare the true success of life according to the Kingdom of heaven. In the life of Your Son Jesus, we see and learn that it’s better to give than to receive as He Himself said, He did not come to be served but to serve and become a ransom for many. What a revolutionary and radical idea. It isn’t about dog-eat-dog, but it’s about loving others as yourself. I confess to You that I don’t always seize that unselfish moment to be a dream releaser, but I thank You that You won’t give up on a life that desires change. I ask this one thing of You. Help me; help us, become dream releasers unselfish in all our ways, just like Your Son Jesus lived. In the unselfish name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.