The Importance of Caring for Others
By Vivian Bricker
Bible Reading:
“Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the Lord delivers them in times of trouble. The Lord protects and preserves them—they are counted among the blessed in the land—he does not give them over to the desire of their foes. The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness” (Psalm 41:1-3).
From a young age, my mom taught me the importance of caring for others. If someone was sick, crying, or in pain, I was supposed to help them. If a kid was sitting alone at lunch or playing by themselves on the playground, my mom taught me to be their friend. I actually met my best friend in elementary school by following my mom’s advice, and I have continued to do this without thinking about it. Whenever someone seems hurt, brokenhearted, or struggling, I tend to migrate to them and I’m quickly able to build a friendship with them.
I give the credit for this skill to my mother because she wanted to ensure I was a friend to the people who didn’t have any friends. As someone who has often been on the other side of this scenario in my adult years, I have often wished there was someone who would come sit with me when I was alone at the lunch table or silently looking out the window at group events. Sadly, not everyone is taught this same teaching in their childhood. However, there is much that is said in the Bible about caring for others.
The Bible tells us to be kind, compassionate, and forgiving toward others (Ephesians 4:32). Jesus tells us we are to love others as He has loved us (John 13:34-35). We are also told to care for widows and orphans (James 1:27). From these teachings, we can see how important it is to God that we care for others.
How can we do this if we are turning a deaf ear to their cries for help? As Christians, we are called to love and care for others. Anything short of this is ignoring the Lord’s commands. The love, kindness, and care we extend to others are a natural overflow of our faith. The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives helps us bring glory to the Father and the Son by loving others as they have loved us.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Psalm 41:1-3 says, “Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the Lord delivers them in times of trouble. The Lord protects and preserves them—they are counted among the blessed in the land—he does not give them over to the desire of their foes. The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.” As this psalm tells us, we are blessed if we have regard for the weak. This means we will extend care, concern, and compassion to them. Love, kindness, and support will be our priorities toward others.
For those who have regard for the weak, the Lord will deliver them in their time of trouble. Jesus will protect, preserve, and bless them. They won’t be given over to their foes. Instead, the Lord will sustain them on their sickbed and restore their health. All of these are promises made to us when we have regard for the weak. We shouldn’t do these things simply for the promises; rather, we should genuinely want to care for the weak because of the love we have for God.
How wonderful it is to know that Jesus pays attention to our care and concern for others. With the same kindness we have extended to those struggling, the Lord will surround us with protection, preservation, and health. We can take solace in these blessings because the Lord appreciates the love we extend toward others. Doing these things out of a pure heart brings Jesus much joy.
How can you start extending care, concern, and compassion to the weak today? Extending love to others is a natural outpouring of God’s work in our lives. Have you seen this love at work in your own life? How can you have a pure heart when it comes to caring for the weak?
“Dear Lord, please help me to always have regard for the weak. Help me have a pure heart as I help those in need, and allow me to extend the love of You in my actions. My heart is fully devoted to You, and I want to help all people, no matter what they are struggling with or the cause of their weakness. I praise You, Lord. Amen.”
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Eva-Katalin
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