What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
Christians control what the world thinks of them by their words and actions. Too much of our chatter lately has painted us as users rather than stewards. Bought with a price--the very blood of Christ--our lives are not our own any longer. We're to express our love for God by serving others and telling them about the Savior. Let our voices ring with the sorrowful recognition of others' needs, and our actions be beacons of hope, giving them the ability to sit with us and hear the stories of Jesus and how He changed us because they're no longer hungry or thirsty or naked or homeless. Here are just a few ways to help:
1. Local food pantries are struggling to keep up with the need; check out how the one nearest you is doing, and help them by providing food or manpower.
2. Single parents are struggling all around you. Is there someone who could use your help with their broken faucet, leaf-covered yard or troubled transportation? Workdays to help them "catch up" with home repairs are a wonderful way for churches to reach out to these families just barely keeping their heads above water.
3. Respite care for people who live with family members in need of constant attention is an incredible gift; sometimes, even just visiting with the caregiver and the family member being cared for is a huge gift.
4. Spending an afternoon or two a month at a nursing home or assisted living facility is an exciting and interesting way to breathe life into someone who thinks the world is passing them by; and you'd be surprised at the life-is-more-exciting-than-fiction stories you discover in the process.
5. Register as a bone marrow donor. Unless you've got a serious health issue, it's hard to imagine why a follower of Jesus Christ wouldn't want to do this.
6. Give blood. Ditto number 5; it's life itself.
7. Sign that organ donor card! I promise you the God who made you will be able to reconstruct your new body in heaven with or without that liver, eye, heart, etc. Thousands are dying needlessly because we believers are being needlessly superstitious about our bodies after death.
8. Watch for signs your neighbors are struggling. Reach out to them in tangible ways. In a world that's now technology-centered, some of the loneliest places in the world are neighborhoods. Let the follower of Jesus be a lighthouse in the sea of the neighborhood.
9. Write and mail a long and newsy handwritten letter to someone from the following list: (a) a soldier on active-duty you know; (b) a family member in an extended care facility; (c) a missionary you support financially; (d) a friend from your past who you've lost touch with; (e) a son, daughter, mother, or father who lives away from you; (f) a neighbor you used to live near before you moved; (g) a pastor or spiritual mentor-tell them what they mean/what they've meant to you; (h) a friend who lives alone; (i) a friend who lost a loved one, went through a divorce, or was cut off from loved ones and friends.
10. Ask God if adoption or foster parenting is something He wants you to consider. Too many kids don't have safe places.
Send us more ideas to pass along to others. Got a favorite memorable moment, when what you did for others ended up blessing you more than your help blessed them? We'd love to hear it. Send it along to cheryl@madetomatter. We'll publish those that help others discover new ways to see that loving God means serving others over self.
