I have been enjoying our preaching series on Job and in particular John’s message last week about when Job’s three friends visited him in the middle of his terrible suffering. The three friends came to comfort Job and as John told us, “For seven days, they didn’t say anything to him and in hindsight it was the best thing his friends did say. It would have been a lot better if they had continued to not say a word”.
This got me thinking about visiting people. Visiting others is an important spiritual gift that often goes unseen, but it is one of the most important spiritual gifts in the church and many people in our church family do this every week.
One of the easiest ways we can care for someone is to go and visit them. People can easily feel isolated and discouraged and forgotten, so it’s important to take the time to visit them, sit with them, and listen to their concerns. We don’t need to try and solve their problems, and we certainly don’t want to be judgmental like Job’s friends were.
Offering them some practical help or cooking them a meal is a wonderful way to show our Christian love for them.
Let’s look out for those who are struggling and who we can visit and care for. We don’t need to be scared about not having the right words or the right answer.
I love the verses in Galatians 6 (NLT). Verse 2 says:
Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
And in verses 9–10 it says:
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone – especially to those in the family of faith.
This week let’s think about those who are struggling and give them a ring or pay them a visit and sit down and listen to them and offer them help wherever they need it. We don’t need to be scared about having the right words to say.
May God bless you in the coming week – Tin Tin