“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” – Galatians 6:10
While reading this verse I thought of the proverbial concept of missions: “We can bless the lives of Haitians or children in Ethiopia or some other far away land.” While these works are important, I’m afraid we sometimes forget that we can have the greatest impact on the people God has put in our lives every day. When we reach out to the widow across the street, the child in our church who has no father, the lonely person sitting near us in church, or a member of our family, we are sharing God’s love!
Another challenging part of this verse from Galatians is “as we have the opportunity.” I don’t know about you, but often when I think about or see an opportunity right in front of me I think, “that would be a good thing to do sometime…” Days or weeks later I may remember the situation, but I must confess that I do not always take the initiative to do the thing which was presented to me. I’m not suggesting we need to act impulsively, nor that we can stop every time a need arises. But, I believe God wants us to be more attentive to the needs of those around us! When we make ourselves available to God, he is able to use us to bless the lives of others.
Finally, let’s always remember that the “family of believers” includes people right in our own church family who may be discouraged, sick, afraid or alone. Whenever we encounter someone in worship or in the hallway on Sunday morning, we do not know all that the person has gone through in the past week. Maybe they are grieving, maybe they had something exciting happen, or maybe they just need a smile or hug. Take a few minutes this week to stop someone and ask about their experience. You will make a new friend and have the opportunity to do good. What you do matters!
Prayer: Dear God, lead me into a conversation with someone this week who needs to experience your love. Use me to make a difference as you give me words of encouragement and kindness.
Rev. Phil Greenwald, Executive Pastor of Administration
