“Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 4:15-17)
As a young girl growing up in Saudi Arabia, I grew up largely sheltered from the outside world in a small, tightly-knit community of Indians who shared our faith. Something we all had in common was that everybody’s extended family lived in India. So whenever there was a reason to celebrate or a cause for grief, we only had each other to turn to. Consequently, the people in our little group grew very close to each other.
When I think back to that time, I realize there was one person in particular who had a profound impact on me – a lady we all referred to as “Sarakka”. Being older than many of the younger folks who found their way into our circle, she took on the role of an elder sister to them. As a result, when any of the younger women delivered a baby, Sarakka was always keen to help in every way she could. She would open her heart and home to the new mothers and attempt to tend to their every need. If they had older children, they were welcomed too. In case a new mother preferred to stay at her own home, Sarakka cooked some food, took it to their home, and proceeded to take over the task of bathing their little one.
I had the privilege of being closely acquainted with Sarakka and knew that she was a working woman herself and had two kids of her own. What never failed to amaze me was how intentional she was in going out of her way to bring joy and comfort into the lives of others. She was determined to be there for people in their time of need.
One of the things I took away from watching Sarakka in action all those years ago was her direct and practical offers to help. She never said, “Call me if you need anything”. Instead, she offered them what she had: “I’ve made you some dinner”, “I can swing by every day next week to help with the newborn” or “I am praying for you”.
There will always be somebody in the circle of people we know who are in need of some kind of help. And far too many of us approach their need passively. I am yet to come across someone who will readily get back to me after I’ve simply asked them to “let me know if you need anything”. Let us take a moment to examine our response to someone’s need when we are made aware of it. Do we merely wish them better days, tell them we’ll “pray for them” and promptly forget about it, hope someone else will rise to the occasion, or do we genuinely try to help them by actively doing something about it? Galatians 6:2 charges us to “carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.“
It is impossible for us to solve the problems of everyone we encounter. However, when we have the opportunity to help someone in need, it is important to do so. It would be wise of us to learn to be aware of the gift(s) that God has given us and use it to minister to the need of others. No Christian is justified in claiming to not be gifted in any area since “each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another” (1 Corinthians 7:7). These gifts are not for us but for the church – to be used for building one another up in the faith.
If you have the God-given ability to produce delicious meal-after-meal from your kitchen, use it to bless others. Believe me, there aren’t many people who don’t appreciate a good meal. If God has blessed you financially, use it to support others in their time of need. If you do so, “others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you, their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you” (2 Corinthians 9:13-14). If being around children makes you happy, offer to babysit the children of an over-worked mother – even if it is just for an hour every other week. It’s the little things we do that add up and make a difference in the lives of others.
Above all, no matter which way you choose to be a blessing in the lives of others, “work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people” (Colossians 3:23). It isn’t always easy to be deliberate in our actions to help others. That warm, fuzzy feeling we experience the first couple of times will quickly dissipate when someone we went out of our way to help does not respond in gratitude, or when we realize that the person we lent money to has no intention of returning it. At that point, we can only continue to do good if we operate in the faith that we honor God by helping our brethren, and that He is the one we seek to please.
Acts 10:38 tells us that “Jesus went about doing good…“. Let us also be intentional in carrying out acts of service to one another with the love the Lord has bestowed upon us since “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
10 comments
Wow.. Happy to read about Sarakka😍
😉
Thank you for reminding that within each of us is the potential to do something for the kingdom .
Finally we know the question we will have to face ; did you feed me ? Clothe me ? Visit me ?
If I believe that these words are true then I better have a reason to say YES
Amen to that.
Beautifully described how to show Jesus within us! Thank you for stimulating the gift God has bestowed within us!
Inspiration and conviction – the two feelings I had after reading this article. We often don’t like to be convicted of anything, and I speak of this in the sense of the Holy Spirit guiding or correcting us. Recently, because of the Covid19 virus, I’ve been feeling guilty about service to others. And, then I realized, I can provide service within my small family social circle. My parents live with us, and can’t cook for themselves anymore. Suddenly, cooking for them became less of a chore that I dreaded. Instead, I did it for God’s glory!
Praise God!
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