Daily Devotional November 7 - Lawyers Are People Too

"Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them." Titus 3:13

This is a remarkable statement. Let me paraphrase. When you bring Zenas, the lawyer and Apollos the preacher to see me, make sure that:

• the plans for their departure and arrival are well thought out
• everything they need is properly set up
• someone helps with the baggage
• their family is taken care of while they are gone away from home
• they have enough food and drink for the whole trip
• that all their bills are paid before bringing them
• and that the trip is completely paid for

That's the Christian way. This notion that lawyers don't need anything because they make so much money is foolishness and most of the time not true at all. Let me tell you a story. Hurricane Andrew hit SW Florida and I was living in Florida at the time. I had a small construction company with about 10 workers. One week prior to the disaster of hurricane Andrew I was praying and I said, Lord I will go anywhere you send me, willingly, except Miami. (For my own personal reasons)

Well hurricane Andrew goes through the Miami, Homestead area the end of that same week. God said go. I said you've got to be kidding and then God changed my heart. I took my truck and a few men with me the day after the hurricane had gone through. I ended up at a place called Quail Roost, an area South and West of Miami. I did not know I was in Quail Roost for weeks. Anyway, I went down to help people, except I didn't know what they needed until I got there and saw the destruction.

So we went back and forth from Mid Florida to Quail Roost for weeks, gathering supplies in Mid Florida and taking them to Quail Roost. We brought mostly plywood and tar paper just to help people have a dry spot in their home. Many people stayed and wouldn't even leave their property, even though there was almost nothing left, especially any roof shingles or plywood. During the next three months we dried in 43 homes, not completely, but enough where they could have a place to sleep and eat, out of the weather. (All at no cost to anyone receiving our help). It would be months and in some cases more than a year until some of these people could rebuild their homes. Anyway, keep in mind, I didn't know anyone and there was no Red Cross or National Guard yet and even when they did come it was not nearly enough.

There was this one home; two story, beautiful home, completely ruined, missing most of its second floor and most of its roof. There was a woman outside in a fuzzy nightgown with a glazed look in her eyes, staring off into the sky as if a bomb had hit their home, and this was a few days after the hurricane went through. As with all the that we helped we pulled over and the men and I took some plywood and tar paper and filled in a section of their roof so that they could have a dry area to live in. Wouldn't you know it, months later Christians back in Mid Florida and seven some of the local churches were angry at me for drying in the roof of this home. They said I should have only dried in the homes of the poor. They also said that this home was owned by a lawyer and he had plenty of money and didn't need help. Really?

The water was coming in their home just like everybody else's. You couldn't buy plywood or tar paper or anything else for that matter (in the area) at this point in time. All the money in the world had no value in their neighborhood. They couldn't get out and almost nobody could get in for weeks and months for many in that area. Anyway, I am thankful to God that I didn't go down their with an agenda, taking my pride and arrogance and ignorance with me or I would have looked around to see who was worthy to have me fix their roof. God help us all. The point is that lawyers are people too.

Next Paul tells Titus to do the same for the preacher that he is doing for the lawyer. Our pastors work hard and they (almost all of them) are grossly underpaid. Not only that, too many parishioners actually resent pastors making anything, much less maybe having a nice car or wearing new clothes. Next time you are thinking of finding some old hand-me-down clothes for the pastors kids, you need to think again. They deserve for you to sacrifice and buy them something really nice, new and beautiful. Your pastor needs a new car. The pastor's wife is to be respected and honored and loved and cared for as a guest. You shouldn't even think of how little you and your church board can get away with paying your pastor. You should think of ways that you can double or triple their income. Don't bother writing me or trying to find scripture that supports not supporting your pastor. You won't find it.

Paul instructed Titus to bring Zenas and Apollos and that nothing should be wanting unto them. This is Bible truth. Find a way to bless your lawyer or pastor. Go the extra mile. Sacrifice some time or money and make their lives better. It is God's way.