Devotion 6/17, Caring for others
I was Sick, and You Cared for Me
JAMES 5:13-16
“I was sick and you looked after me. . . .” Matthew 25:36
There are so many excuses people make for paying little or no attention to those who are sick.
Jesus simply cuts through it all and says, “I was sick and you looked after me,” or, “I was sick and . . . you did not look after me.” While our health-care systems can help with most of a sick person’s physical needs, their spiritual and emotional needs remain. Visiting a person who is sick will often make a greater impact than we know. Family, health care workers, and staff also notice when the sick are being visited.
Yes, visiting with people who are ill can sometimes be challenging. It pushes us outside of our comfort zones. But, as with many things, it usually gets easier with practice. And we will often find that we are blessed by making a visit! And what greater blessing can there be than to hear the Lord say, “I was sick and you looked after me”!
Will your faithful hand be there for that ill person? His hand has always been there for us, so why not extend His love through a visit to that lonely or ill person?
Jesus, we are experts at making excuses. Please fill us with compassion instead of excuses, and help us to truly care for one another. We pray in your name. Amen.
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