As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. --1 Thessalonians 2:6-8
From 1986 to 1990, Frank Reed was held hostage in a Lebanon cell. For months at a time, he was blindfolded, living in complete darkness, and chained to a wall, kept in absolute silence.
Reed was beaten, made ill, and tormented, but he felt the most hopeless because it seemed that no one cared. He said in an interview with Time magazine, "Nothing I did mattered to anyone. I began to realize how withering it is to exist with not a single expression of caring around [me].... I learned one overriding fact: caring is a powerful force. If no one cares, you are truly alone."
Christians are never truly alone because we are fortunate to have God's gracious watch care over our lives, as well as that of the Church. This type of caring can provide the strength needed for a believer to endure anything.
Do you know someone who feels as though no one cares for them? Can you think of a few people right now who are living in loneliness? We have been called as believers to minister to those who are lonely. And in turn, we never have to be lonely because there are other believers who will care for us.
Remember the promise of Jesus: "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40).
PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask the Lord to open the doors of opportunity for you to pour out love, care, and concern for someone who needs it, just as Jesus did.
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