DO UNTO OTHERS

Did you know that God loves people? He doesn’t just love or want to love those who attend service on Sunday mornings. His desire to love others isn’t relegated to how well they perform a task or how many possessions or titles they own. God’s love for His people transcends such trivial notions. His love is all-consuming, all-inclusive and is the great equalizer. You see, God tends to love us despite our obvious flaws and imperfections. He values and esteems us even when our actions and thoughts leave little to be desired. Still, His love is tender, far-reaching and available to us—just like it is for everyone else.

Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor will cry out himself and not be heard. – Proverbs 21:13

God did not design humanity to be apathetic, calloused or indifferent to suffering and pain. He is not pleased when we ignore the plights of the poor, the disenfranchised or the lonely. This scripture verse clearly tells us God’s thoughts on this despondent attitude. If we do not take notice of those who are in need—or refuse to do something to help them—when we cry out in our time of need, we will not be heard.

This particular passage of scripture may seem very harsh. For some, it may be viewed as contradictory. After all, isn’t God supposed to be a God of love and kindness? Many of us probably have first-hand knowledge about pain. Through various stages of our journey in life we have experienced loneliness, suffering and in some cases abandonment. We know what it means to ache, what it means to feel empty and what it means to feel alone. We understand pain and suffering quite well. So why wouldn’t we lend a helping hand to someone else?

God does not desire for any of us to walk through painful situations alone. He knows that a town, city or nation divided against itself will never be strong. How can we proclaim to love the Father who rescued us in our need while we turn a blind eye to the needs of others? The truth is we can’t. We are the heart of God on the earth. As Christ’s ambassadors, we are chosen to perpetuate His example of love and kindness to the masses. This means when you see someone in need, pray and do what you can to meet the need.

Meeting the needs of others isn’t about having large sums of money or performing grandiose acts of service. Sometimes meeting the need is simply praying with someone. At other times, it may be listening or dedicating some portion of your day to helping someone. It is imperative that we—as ambassadors for Christ—extend mercy and compassion to others in difficult situations. Our refusal to do so not only negatively impacts those in need, but it has negative consequences on us as well.

©2010-2013 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved