Catalyst Track: The Last Arrow // Day Three

This week’s 3-day track comes from the book, The Last Arrow: Save Nothing For the Next Life, written by Erwin Raphael McManus.

You need to act like your life depends on it, because it’s never just your life involved. You need to never settle for less because the world desperately needs everything you can bring to the table. Be careful of embracing the type of spirituality that has a deep disdain for ambition and hides apathy behind a language of simplicity. If you want to live a simple life, that’s a beautiful thing. If you want to use it as an excuse to live beneath your God-given capacity, that is negligence.

In this 3-day track, Erwin challenges us to live for others. He reminds us that sometimes we pray, but sometimes we are the answer to someone else’s prayer when we perform selfless acts of kindness.

Rather than excusing the challenge before you, embrace it with open arms and remember the life God created for you to live. Take the next few days to recognize ways in which you can save nothing for the next life by giving your all to others.

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DAY 3: The Answer to Prayer

I actually reconciled myself to the belief that I was not going to be able to give them money, until another of the workers came to me and said, “Let’s go take a walk.” He must have seen the despair in my eyes and sensed that I was close to having a meltdown. So we walked back to the temporary shelter that this family of four lived in. The grandmother was already in her time of prayer. I didn’t know what would be appropriate, or maybe I knew but I didn’t care. I had the children interrupt her and ask her if I could speak to her for just a moment. She had changed clothes from the clothes she wore when we’d interviewed her. She was wearing all white out of reverence to God.

Through the translator, I expressed these simple words to her: “Sometimes you pray and sometimes you’re the answer to prayer.” Then I handed her the small amount of money I had. I asked that God would bless her, and I left, never to see them again.

I am more than aware that I did not solve the Syrian refugee crisis. I didn’t even solve it for this one family. But it doesn’t change the truth of that moment. Sometimes we pray; sometimes we are the answers to prayer. You become the answer to prayer when you act as though your life depends on it. Because it does. And so do the lives of everyone your life touches.

CHALLENGE:

Find an opportunity this week to answer someone’s prayer - not to fulfill your desire to give, but rather to provide what someone else needs.