Do Likewise

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)

How many of us do? James tells us that this is pure religion – yet how many of us even read James, much less pay attention to what he said to do?

Are we too busy with other commandments? Forget them. Christ brought them into perspective with two:

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:36-40)

Asked as though "If we can’t keep them all, on which one should we focus?" Christ puts our foolishness to shame and tells us how we should be in all that we do.

There are ministries for each and every one of us. The one for you is the one God tells you to go and do. When you have a relationship with God, you will know what He has for you to do. All you need to do is ask and it will be shown to you.

Doesn’t have to be the same ministry all of our life, either. It can change as we grow in fellowship with God. It can change when we complete a task set before us. Take time to consider what task that might be.

There is no end to the need, but there is great fulfillment in providing what is needed. Our world will continue, as it has for millennia, without our doing anything at all. My preference is to make ripples, not knowing where they will go, but knowing full well that someday I will learn their impact.

And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. (Luke 3:10-11)

Are you ready to do likewise?