13However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.14He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
I tell you what, if we could just see through the Spirit's eyes, it would dramatically affect our perspective on the world around us and the people whom we encounter. God desires for us to see other people as uniquely created in His image, and to be able to reach out to them through the love of Christ. There will be times, when the Spirit will indicate the needs of those around us and direct us to take a certain step - it could be very simple, but it could pave the way to the work of God being accomplished in that person's life. We have to be willing to set aside our human, selfish perceptions and allow God to help us see how He will use us as a vessel of compassion.
The Bible reinforces the notion that all of us are created in the image of God, and that He wants to form a relationship with us through His son, Jesus. Psalm 139 offers this perspective:
13For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb.14I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.15My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.16Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.17How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
Some 15 years ago, Nicki Benz watched a news report that focused on imprisoned women. She figured that most of them had probably been physically and verbally abused at some point in their lives. A guard yelled at one of the women, asking why she couldn't get her life on track.
"They are not trash," Benz said back to the television. "Those women are treasures."
According to a Baptist Press feature story, Nicki, a resident of Jackson, MS, thought that someone had to take action. She hadn't yet realized that God would choose to use her, a "senior citizen," to show hundreds of women and children that they are treasures in His eyes. Her "action" at the time was a one-time visit to the local correctional facility in 1999. It turned into a daily routine of doling out hugs, lending a listening ear and teaching about God's forgiveness and love. Benz's passion for the women was so contagious that it didn't take long for her husband Dick to join in on the visits.
Soon, an officer asked the couple if they'd consider taking in one of the girls. The woman had been in and out of 40 rehab centers and didn't have anywhere to turn. The Benzes had heard this type of story over and over. When the women left prison, they most often returned to the broken lifestyle that landed them there in the first place. The couple knew this cycle had to be broken, so they offered their four empty bedrooms to God and began an after-care ministry.
As more and more women wanted to be a part of what became Buried Treasures Home, the ministry expanded from one house to multiple cottages sitting on a 65-acre plot of land. Benz explained that the women don't just have a "bed but a family of God" when they come to the home. The women learn to be women of God and what it means to be part of a healthy family.
The ministry focuses on discipleship and learning what it means to be treasured. Because so many women have no place to go after being released, Buried Treasures Home gives women and their children a place to live for up to a year. During that time, women receive opportunities to earn their GEDs, enroll at nearby community college, study the Bible and reintegrate into society.
The Benzes estimated that only 20 percent of the women who register for the yearlong after-care ministry actually complete the program. Some stay for lunch and then return to the streets. But they never leave Benz's heart. The names of every woman who walks through the doorway are meticulously recorded in her Bible and prayed for each day. Others graduate from the program and integrated back into the community.
15 years later, Buried Treasures Home continues to impact lives. Last October, the White House presented her with a Point of Light Award. The award honors individuals who strive to improve their community by responding to a need through volunteer service. Nicki says, "We are in the business of bringing people to Christ and showing how they are treasured...We cry out in joy when that message takes off and grows in the heart of others. That's the real success."
The story of Nicki Benz and Buried Treasures Home reinforces a number of different principles. First of all, every person is a creation of God and has potential in His eyes. I think that can be helpful to us in our view of ourselves - that God has made us in His image, that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that He has a plan for our lives. We are greatly loved, and God desires for us to come into a knowledge of Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ.
That basic premise can also affect how we relate to others. Nicki saw the television news report of women who had been incarcerated - she imagined what in their lives may have adversely affected them, and she had the mindset that these women had value, innate worth, and proceeded to take steps to reach out to them. I think it honors God when we look at a person and see someone that needs to experience the love of Christ. There is a tendency to be put off by outward appearances or to turn away from people who are unpleasant or less fortunate than we are. Christ died for all, so everyone we encounter is a person for whom He died.
Finally, Nicki didn't see the whole picture when she visited a local prison. But, she took a step. And, that's perhaps what God is calling you to do - to take a step, a simple act. And, as you take that step of obedience, then the Holy Spirit will show you what to do next. The unfolding of the plan of God in our lives comes as a result of our willingness to be used of Him and to follow His Spirit where He leads.
The ministry focuses on discipleship and learning what it means to be treasured. Because so many women have no place to go after being released, Buried Treasures Home gives women and their children a place to live for up to a year. During that time, women receive opportunities to earn their GEDs, enroll at nearby community college, study the Bible and reintegrate into society.
The Benzes estimated that only 20 percent of the women who register for the yearlong after-care ministry actually complete the program. Some stay for lunch and then return to the streets. But they never leave Benz's heart. The names of every woman who walks through the doorway are meticulously recorded in her Bible and prayed for each day. Others graduate from the program and integrated back into the community.
15 years later, Buried Treasures Home continues to impact lives. Last October, the White House presented her with a Point of Light Award. The award honors individuals who strive to improve their community by responding to a need through volunteer service. Nicki says, "We are in the business of bringing people to Christ and showing how they are treasured...We cry out in joy when that message takes off and grows in the heart of others. That's the real success."
The story of Nicki Benz and Buried Treasures Home reinforces a number of different principles. First of all, every person is a creation of God and has potential in His eyes. I think that can be helpful to us in our view of ourselves - that God has made us in His image, that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that He has a plan for our lives. We are greatly loved, and God desires for us to come into a knowledge of Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ.
That basic premise can also affect how we relate to others. Nicki saw the television news report of women who had been incarcerated - she imagined what in their lives may have adversely affected them, and she had the mindset that these women had value, innate worth, and proceeded to take steps to reach out to them. I think it honors God when we look at a person and see someone that needs to experience the love of Christ. There is a tendency to be put off by outward appearances or to turn away from people who are unpleasant or less fortunate than we are. Christ died for all, so everyone we encounter is a person for whom He died.
Finally, Nicki didn't see the whole picture when she visited a local prison. But, she took a step. And, that's perhaps what God is calling you to do - to take a step, a simple act. And, as you take that step of obedience, then the Holy Spirit will show you what to do next. The unfolding of the plan of God in our lives comes as a result of our willingness to be used of Him and to follow His Spirit where He leads.
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