#10 Save as I Save

We’re going to shift gears a bit today, and talk about another big idea that the Saw movies have got me thinking about: how to save a life. 

Well, maybe not how, as much as how much we can save a life. 

Jump back to Saw 4 with me, where police officer Rig is watching all his friends die, and he desperately tries to take control of everything in response. Jigsaw puts him through a big rigamarole, where Rig has to set people up into their own traps. Basically, Jigsaw shows them where their actions are leading them, and has Rig take part in rewarding those who make the right choices to change. And it got me thinking: isn’t that what we ought to do? 

At first, I sort of agreed with the whole idea. When Jesus sends out his twelve in Matthew 10, it seems like He tells them to go, talk about Him, and if people don’t respond, move on. Isn’t that what He meant by “shake the dust off your feet?” I know that Jigsaw twists the idea to some unhealthy extremes, to say the least, but that core idea is right on the money. 

But the difference between Jigsaw and Jesus is that Jesus doesn’t leave us to fend for ourselves. He doesn’t offer a big ol’ test, and sends us away if we fail. Sure, He will give us opportunities to grow, but He doesn’t leave us hanging to face them alone. And, ultimately, Jesus puts far less emphasis on what we do. In terms of growth, we just have to be willing to give Him room to work. That’s all there is to it. 

But the fact still remains that we, as Christians, (or even, as people who want to help,) aren’t the only ones responsible for saving others. There comes a point where everyone must choose to play a part in their own salvation. The most you can do for someone is to show someone the door for them to walk through. But that isn’t an excuse to not help people. You can be the door for someone to walk through.

You can open your house up to those in need, you can donate valuables like clothes and money, and you can feed those who don’t have a meal. There is plenty that you can do. The difference that I want to emphasize is that you need to be a little detached from the results. If you give someone the world and they decide to abuse it, that’s on them. You can walk away proud because you gave it your best shot. 

But I am often reminded that we need to make sure we don’t use this as an excuse to slack off. We can’t do half-baked work, then say “well, I can’t control the outcome, so I guess I gave it my best shot.” No! What you must do, you must do well! To the best of your abilities, in fact. But here’s where it gets tricky: we must preserve ourselves as much as others. We must cherish our own lives as much as everyone else’s. We need to focus on what we can definitely do to have the biggest impact on others in the long run. If a friend needs you to go grocery shopping while you are out at work, you can’t just leave your job to go hang out! It might cost you your job, your house, and more! We need to be intentional about how we spend our time helping. 

So how do we do that? I think we have to start trying to read people, to see if they truly want help. We should always be willing to help as much as we are able, but we should also  read between the lines of whether or not they are using the opportunities given to them as means to grow, or to stay put. If excuses keep getting made, and prices keep getting paid, then maybe they don’t truly want the help. I think sometimes people say they want a good thing, but they like all their old priorities that are holding them down as well. People who want something put in the time and effort to get it, regardless of what excuses come up. 

The key takeaway is that you can’t save everyone. You can assist many, but every individual has to make their own choice to get up and change their own lives. It’s a hard truth to swallow, but it will set you free if you stop trying to fix people that don’t want to be fixed. So take some time to practice saying “no” when people ask for help. Just enough to get into the habit of setting yourself free when you need to. I pray that wisdom guides you through the complex mazes of life, and that the God of all wisdom helps you make the right decisions. 

Until Next Time

May Peace be your Guide.