Wednesday; October 30

Have you noticed how easy it is to get overwhelmed by all the needy people in our nation – and even in our community?  Whether it is through media attention or just casual observation, the plight of the poor and disadvantaged is obvious.  Interestingly, one of the common reactions to this type of problem is the temptation to just shut down.  Rather than seeing individual opportunities to help, we feel overwhelmed by how much there is to do and how few answers there are to the issues.  What would happen if we stopped, took a deep breath and did what we could?  We might not have the answer to addressing food insecurity of homelessness; but we can help the person living next door to us.  

When James addressed faith in action he challenged Christians, “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” (James 2:15-16).  Notice he didn’t say come up with a global plan to address the issue, he said to provide what is necessary to the individuals we meet.    

Let’s avoid shutting down in the face of the epidemic, rather let’s look into the faces of the people around us and put a smile on this one or that one.  We don’t have to do everything, we just need to do something! 

Think About It!

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