The man got in trouble for helping someone. He had been raised in a rural area, so he was in the habit of stopping to assist troubled motorists. But when he stopped in a large city to offer help to someone who was stranded, he was shot, robbed, and left for dead. The story has a happy ending, though. The man recovered from his injuries, and he says he has gained a deeper confidence in God. He still believes that helping others is the right thing to do.

Now, I'm not suggesting that we stop for every stranded motorist. Caution is always wise. But the New Testament shows that when we help others, we are bound to run into trouble—especially when what we offer is the good news of the gospel. Sooner or later we will meet with resistance. Yet this trouble will have a happy ending.

The apostle Paul, for example, was battered, bruised, hated, and harassed. But he expressed the heart of a man who was doing exactly what he wanted to do. He was working with God for the spiritual rescue of people who would someday fill eternity with their appreciation (2 Corinthians 4:15). He knew that in the end the Lord Himself would confirm the eternal value of his efforts. And that was worth all the trouble he encountered helping others.  — Mart De Haan