Remember the Poor

“They’re here!” It had come together at lightning speed. The time between our first meeting with the agency to the night the Congolese family of four arrived at the airport happened in a way only God could orchestrate. Our church was adopting a refugee family. As we gathered at the airport to greet them with flags, signs and boisterous cheers, many of us found tears hard to suppress.

In a very tangible way, we were given the opportunity to remember the poor.

The one thing James, Peter and John asked Paul and Barnabas to do as they sent them on their mission to the Gentiles was to “remember the poor.” Interestingly, Paul responded it was the very thing he was eager to do! We can’t dismiss the high priority the early Church placed on reaching out to the less fortunate. It mirrors the love of Christ.

So what are practical ways we can mirror that love? Maybe it manifests in something as simple as putting more change in a tip jar or gathering clothes for a rescue mission; in being more intentional in our prayers, asking God for opportunities to give. Perhaps it begins with living a life of gratitude and of resisting the entrapment of materialism.

Whatever form remembering the poor might take, I believe it’s a mindset we should, like Paul, be eager to embrace. How about you?

Lord Jesus, all we have comes from your generous hand. Please help us reflect your compassion by remembering the poor. Open our eyes to see the needs around us and help us be quick to respond in the way you lead.

Throughout this Day: Ask God to show you one thing you can do to help someone less fortunate than you.