Poison Ivy and My Selfishness

Over the weekend, a group of us went to help a friend's grandmother clean up around the house of the farm she lives on. It was a massive undertaking, and our energy gave out long before the list of things that needed to be done did. We were warned to be on the look-out for snakes, poison oak, and poison ivy, as all three are summer residents on the farm. I started out with the weed-eater, acutely on the look-out for snakes, but not too worried about poison ivy and/or poison oak, since I've never been allergic to it. At one point, a couple of buddies and I finished throwing limbs we'd cut onto a pile to be burned, and immediately one of them said, "Okay, let's go wash our hands, 'cause there was poison ivy all over those limbs." I hadn't even noticed the poison ivy, and as I thought more about it, I realized that I didn't even know what poison ivy looks like (poison oak either, for that matter.) Then it hit me, that I've never bothered to learn how to identify poison oak or poison ivy, because I'm not allergic to them. They don't pose a threat to me, and so I just go about my business, not too worried, unaware. Certainly, I wasn't looking out for them like I was the snakes, something that had the potential to harm me. For most of the people I was working with, poison oak and ivy can lead to days of discomfort, even potentially shots, but for me, it's a non-issue, so I'm happy to live in blind ignorance to it most of the time.


Here's the thing: through this little episode I was reminded of just how selfish I am when it comes to living life. I mean, so much of my life is lived in a state of "if it doesn't affect me, then I won't worry about it." Not allergic to poison ivy? Great. I won't even bother to learn what it looks like. Who cares if I might be able to point it out to someone else that is allergic to it. After all, it's their struggle, not mine.

Over and over again, the Bible talks about the church as a group of people who look out for one another, consider one another above themselves, put their own needs and desires on hold for the good of the group, refrain from things they have no problem with if it would cause another to struggle. In other words, it's made up of people who learn what sin--all sin--looks like, whether it affects them or not, and they are on guard, always looking out for others who might experience days, weeks, months, or even longer of problems if they were to get wrapped up in whatever it is. I'm so thankful that I'm in a church with people who look out for me and are on guard, on the lookout for potential sins that could entangle me. I pray that God will continue to take my eyes off myself and make me more into someone like that as well.