40 Faces, 40 Places: A Devotional JourneySample

Matthew from London

Sometimes whole-life discipleship looks like loving care for the needy.

My frontline is my interactions with the homeless community. The moral teachings of Christ instruct us to care for the poor, and in my context, I interpret this to mean talking to and helping homeless people. While many people – including me – find it hard to cross the ‘gap’ we see between ‘us and them,’ whenever I succeed (which, to be clear, is not often), God moves astoundingly.

Through the conversations I've had with homeless people, God has shown the love that surprises them. Most homeless people are experiencing a huge amount of pressure and injustice, and many find themselves homeless through no fault of their own. The kindness of regularly asking someone how they are means a lot more to people who get ignored all day. God has also often moved me to have conversations about the person's life, which often leads to questions about him, which the Holy Spirit helps me answer.

So far, God has helped one person get off the streets through me, and they started going to church excitingly. Glory be to God in all things.

I follow messages on Instagram, and they have been encouraging for my walk with God and my frontline.

Reflection

Matthew goes out of his way to connect with the homeless community. It’s so easy to do the opposite.

Deuteronomy 15:11 points to the need to care for the poor and those in need. Jesus famously widens the remit of those we should care for, beyond fellow Christians and friends – taking the most wide-reaching approach to being a loving neighbor imaginable.

Matthew has discovered that God so often blesses his best efforts for homeless people. He’s seen amazing breakthroughs. For some of us, it might be easy to dismiss this frontline as ‘not for me.’ Some people are certainly called to particular work and friendships with homeless people, but Christ’s example of prioritizing those with the greatest need is for all of us.

His challenge is to notice the needs around us and respond with love in action.

As Matthew reminds us, there’s kindness in conversation. There’s kindness in regularly asking.

Prayer

Lord, help me to notice the needs around me. Are the ‘poor in the land’ on my frontline? Or perhaps they’re on the way to my frontline? Or perhaps they’re just a stone’s throw away? Help me notice not just the needs but also the people who have them. Thank You that You often bless our best efforts, even when we aren’t sure what to do.