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Coming Alongside

James warns believers that it is not enough to simply tell a hungry person to be full or a cold person to be warm. Believers have to come alongside those people and help fulfill their physical needs. A person’s physical and spiritual needs are oftentimes bound together. A failure to meet a non-spiritual need may create an unintentional barrier. It may be hard to meet their spiritual need of knowing and believing in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Believers should always strive to meet a person’s needs in a holistic way. Meeting someone’s physical needs opens a door to an opportunity to meet their spiritual need.

So how do we address the physical needs of the people around us? We must first ask God to open our eyes to opportunities to serve others. This can happen in countless ways. It could be a warm meal dropped off during a hard season of life. Sometimes mowing a lawn or performing a home repair meets a need. When stress at work overwhelms someone, you may be able to help do a few tasks. Small deeds can open up an opportunity to share the gospel with that friend or neighbor. God gives us the wonderful opportunity to meet physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. We can praise God that these needs are often right in front of us!

Apply

• Think of one person you can bless today. Is there a physical need they need met?
• How can you go beyond just meeting that need and sharing Jesus with them if the door opens?