“My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.”

They say we should put our money where our mouth is, and so we should! The words of comfort can come out of our mouths so easily, but the actual practical help that people need, we are slow to offer and do.

“… and one of you tells them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled;” and yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it?”

James 2:16

The words are empty when your stomach is hungry and your body is cold. Sisters and brothers, we must rally around each other and earnestly seek ways to help out our fellow believers and the outsiders to the faith as well. The beloved Apostle addresses us as the children in the family of God and so our hearts must be for each other.

Perhaps we have resources and what we do with them in our responsibility. God has given us these things for our benefit and for the benefit of other people as well. Having the ability to give gives the opportunity to be generous and to exercise our gifts of grace, which makes us more Christ-like and less beholden to this world. If we keep our resources for ourselves or for our own people, our families, how are we any different from the worldly person? We claim to live by the truth and to live truthful lives to God, so we should follow this teaching from the Word of God.

No one should judge another as to what resources we think people have and our claim to them. It is easy to feel that people should give us things and support us, when really we should be supporting ourselves and having more to give to others! It is easy to become dependent and even have a feeling to resentment towards someone we think has more than us. We should not judge by appearances because we do not know other people’s situations and what they re facing in their lives. God gives ability and resources to everyone and it is our judgment what we do with them. God will hold each of us accountable for our whole life and not just money in a bank. God will ask us about our words and deeds and how we put them to use for the sake of other people. Never underestimate the power of even an encouraging word! Everyone can do that.

“So then each one of us will give account of himself to God.”

Romans 14:12

Beloved, we should have in mind the mind of Christ who held nothing back for our sake, and we hold nothing back for the sake of our sisters and brothers. Let us take the responsibility for our deeds and live for Christ.