Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

Our mission to the Last, Least and Lost
Psalm 41
"Blessed is he who has regard for the weak"  

       While Bobby was waiting in a government office he heard a sad story of a lady narrating her wild experiences about her husband and her three daughters to the officer. Her husband was a head load worker who was addicted to alcohol and drugs. He took a good sum of loan from the bank. He could not remit the loan or its interest in proper time. Later he met with an accident, many months he was in the hospital and died. The whole burden of the family had come on her shoulder. The woman seemed bewildered. Bobby sensed that she did not know what to do or where to turn.

           He tried to be silent. Then he heard a quiet voice inside him that was urging him to help, but he could not. Again he experienced prompting from God. He immediately spoke to the woman after she came from the office and said to her “Madam I heard your testimony, I believe God wants me to help you”. He made some phone calls to his friends and got her connected with people in a local Church, who provided her help in this pathetic situation.

 Here we see three important visions. 

Care for the fellow human beings : God has created human being with greater freedom. Freedom involves providing full opportunity to all creatures to grow in its full stature. Any obstacle to the growth of a person is to be negated from its context. God is a God of deliverance, deliverance from all the evil fetters of the growth of a person or a creature. God has given us enough talents, health, wealth and thus blessed us. These blessings are to be shared for the growth and development of a person. Giving to the needy is not to do the acts of righteousness. Jesus Christ taught us “do it in secret”, reward will follow from God at right time. James 1:17 says “every good and perfect good is from above, coming down from the father of the heavenly lights... we might  be a kind of first fruits of all he created.”
 

Fellowship of brotherhood (of Fraternity): Ministry of empowering the weak is another vision of responsible Christian life. The basis of this great virtue is love. There are many people who are in need of clothes, food, shelter, medicine and friendship etc. A Christian faith accompanied by action to the needy is valid otherwise faith is dead. The spirit of hosting is a Christian spirit. WE are not guests in this world.  Every Christian is a host to others, especially to those who are needy and weak. This is a joyful obligation. God has called us to active duty. When we read 2 Cor. 8 : 2 concerning the Macedonian Churches, “though they were in severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. They gave as much as they were able".

Equality to all: We are to confirm equal opportunity and justice to all our fellow beings. Charity is essential for alleviating the problems of the weak people around us. But the aim of charity should be to uplift the weak and downtrodden to the level of equals with others. The measure of our charity is not in the quantity we give, but the intention of our heart. As John says “Jesus Christ shared his life as charity for us and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”1 John 3:16-17

PRAYER 

Gracious Lord, help us to take care of our fellow brethren in need with the talents, health and wealth that thou have bestowed upon us.

 THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

God calls us into action today. Let’s do it with all of our might.

Rev. Dr. P. L. John Panicker,  Puthupally, Kottayam