Have you pushed anyone lately?
I don’t know about you, but I was taught from an early age that I was not to push other people – that “good boys” didn’t do that.
Have you pushed anyone lately?
I recently saw two little boys in a tussle over a toy. It seems both wanted to play with the same toy at the same time. They pulled and snatched and tried to wrench it out of each other’s hand, but neither would let go of the toy. Finally, in desperation, one little guy turned the toy loose and gave the other little boy a very strong push. The little boy who was pushed dropped the toy so he could free his hands to help break his fall. Then the little boy who had done the pushing grabbed the toy and ran away with it as fast as he could go. Unknown to the little guy, his mother had seen the whole episode. She called him to her and scolding him asked, “Don’t you know it’s not nice to push people?”
Is it ever nice to push people? Listen to the following stories and then decide.
“When she was a teenager, she used to cross a park where she saw mothers gossiping while the toddlers sat on their swings, with no one to push them. ‘I’d give them a push,’ says Nidetch. ‘And you know what happens when you push a kid on a swing? Pretty soon he’s pumping, doing it himself. That’s what my role in life is — I’m there to give others a push.’” [Written by Irene Sax in Newsday and appearing on Bible.org, February 2, 2009.]
The quote above about her role in life is from Jean Nidetch, the lady who founded Weight Watchers. The success of her company shows that all many people need to succeed in life is just a little push.
The Bible tells us about a man who gave his brother a push. Andrew came to his brother Peter one day and said to him, “. . . We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. (John 1:41-42) These words from his brother were all the push that Peter needed to change him from a fisherman to a fisher of men.
Is it always bad to push someone? I think not. We should push someone in an encouraging way, but never push someone in a discouraging or hurtful way.
Perhaps there is someone who needs a little push from you or me today, a push that will get them going in the right direction. Sometimes just a small nudge or an encouraging word is all that it would take to help someone get moving. All of us need encouragement from time to time and need to know that someone is there for us.
Why don’t we commit ourselves to push someone toward the Lord today and every day? Maybe this little article was just the push you needed to get you going in the right direction. Maybe you’ll begin pushing people in the right way today, too.
I encourage all of you to join me in praying for revival and spiritual awakening in our land. America needs a revival. I need revival. Do you need revival? Let’s push each other in that direction.
To all the moms out there, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY on May 12!
Working Together in His Service,
Roy Pr. 3:5-6