Your Daily Devotional for June 28, 2007

 

June 28,  2007

 

 

Focusing on Others

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

 

James 1:27

 

 

Yesterday we saw that an authentic Christian cares about the things of God. They care about spending time in God's Word and obeying Him as well. Today we will see that authentic Christians not only care about the things of God, but they care about other people as well.

 

As Christians we are to care for others. We see in our verse today that God describes pure religion as caring for those in need. A true Christian sees the needs of others and helps them. They do not focus on themselves and their own needs but look for others whom they can help.

 

There was a little boy who asked his father, "Daddy, what is a Christian?" The father thought for a moment and then replied, "A Christian is a person who loves and obeys God. He loves his friends, his neighbors, and even his enemies. He is kind and gentle and prays a lot. He looks forward to going to Heaven and thinks that knowing God is better than anything on this earth. That, son, is a Christian!" The little boy took a couple of moments to contemplate what his father had said, and then asked, "Daddy, have you ever seen a Christian?"

 

Many times we can get so caught up in "living" like a Christian that we fail to be Christians. We can attend church, read our Bible, pray, and "do" everything a Christian is supposed to do but if we are not loving others and seeking to meet their needs, we are not obeying God. God tells us that we are to care for the needs of others.

 

Not only are we to care for others, but we are to encourage others as well. We may not always know what someone is going through, but as we seek to encourage others, God will lead hurting people across our paths.

 

Someone once said, "You never know if the person you meet is fighting a harder battle than you." We all have difficulties and struggles, but there are people who are struggling more than we are! That is why we must seek to encourage others even when we do not feel like it. God doesn't command us to only care for and encourage others when we feel like it, but we are to encourage others all the time. When we focus on others instead of ourselves, it will be easy to encourage them.

 

I once read the story of an elderly widow who was restricted in her activities but was eager to serve Christ. After praying about this, she realized that she could be a blessing to others by playing the piano. The next day she placed this small ad in the Oakland Tribune: "Pianist will play hymns by phone daily for those who are sick and despondent—the service is free." The notice included the number to dial. When people called, she would ask, "What hymn would you like to hear?" Within a few months her playing had brought cheer to several hundred people. Many of them freely poured out their hearts to her, and she was able to help encourage them.

 

We do not have to do something great to encourage other people. It is often the little things that mean the most to people—the encouraging note, the plate of cookies, or the email that tells them you're praying for them. Are you focusing on others and seeking to care for and encourage them? Ask God to help you focus on others today and purpose to encourage at least one person today.

 

Daily Bible Reading

Job 11-13 • Acts 9:1-21

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