Love Your NeighborSample

Empowering Others

A friendly reminder: God doesn't expect you to care for every person on the planet. If the feeling of being overwhelmed by the number of needs in the world is flooding your heart again, head back to Day Three of this Bible Plan for a refresher.

But here’s a secret: There is a way you can make a difference even outside your sphere of influence.

How? By empowering others to care for their neighbors.

The early church discovered how important this was for themselves. In Acts 6, we read that the church had grown large enough that some of the widows in their community were being overlooked in their daily distribution of food. The disciples knew it was important for the church to care for these neighbors. But with the responsibilities already on their plates, they knew they wouldn’t be able to deliver the food to them personally. So they called the church together and elected seven people to oversee the distribution of food. By empowering these people, the disciples were able to make a bigger difference in their community than they would have been able to make on their own.

We can do the same thing in our communities. First, it’s important to recognize our limits. How much time do we have? What resources and skills do we have at our disposal? Who is within our sphere of influence? Answering these questions will help us determine what we can and can’t do.

Second, take note of the people around you and the skills and resources they possess. If you see a need in your community, how could the people you know help meet that need and care for their neighbors?

Together, we’ll have a far larger impact on our neighborhoods and communities than we would on our own.

Consider: Think about the skills and resources the people around you have. How could they make a difference in your community? How could you encourage them to follow God’s lead in caring for their neighbors?