CARE FOR OTHERS
“But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you. For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you. And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches;”– 2 Corinthians 8:16–18
When Catherine Booth died of cancer in 1890 after many years of faithful service with her husband William in the Salvation Army, her body lay in state at Congress Hall in London. Thousands filed past her body, giving honor to the lady who had given so much to so many. The cream of London society and the rich and powerful filed by next to children from the slums and former drunkards. It is recorded that one elderly man paused by her casket and said, “I’ve come sixty miles to see her again. She was the means of saving my two boys.”
The impact that we make on the lives of others is a direct result of the amount of care and compassion we have for them. That is because it is that care that drives our actions. There is no more powerful motivation than love. It changes the way we view other people, and it changes the way we allocate our resources, time, and energy. We invest in what we care about, and when we care, others can tell. “And of some have compassion, making a difference” (Jude 1:22).
The world has many ways to counterfeit a number of the good things God calls us to do and be, but there is no substitute for compassion. The people with whom we work and to whom we minister will know whether they genuinely matter to us. And the more we care for others, the more we will devote ourselves to meeting their needs and reaching them with the gospel. Only those who truly care for the needs of others are prepared to make a major impact on their lives.–Daily in the Word
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
