Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Grace”
Our Bible verse for today: “So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:26 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Convey grace to those who are suffering.”
Philip Yancey once wrote a great line which I totally agree with. He said, “I would far rather convey grace than explain it.” He meant that he would rather have people experience God’s grace as a result of his actions than for them to just hear about God’s grace as a result of his words.
One of the most important occasions for us to share God’s grace with others is when they’re suffering. When people are suffering they need to experience an extra measure of God’s blessings, and those blessings almost always come through other Christians. In order to do that, we must be willing to enter into their suffering with them. We must be there for them (the ministry of presence); we must feel some of what they feel (empathy); and we must allow God to work through us in order to bless them in the special ways they need it at that moment.
When we do that, we impart meaning and significance to their circumstances. The fact that we care tells them that they matter – to us and to God.
Philip Yancey tells the story of how his wife Janet had a ministry to sick senior citizens. One man she worked with had bad cataracts in both eyes and could barely see. Janet urged him to get the surgery he needed so he could regain his sight, but the man took no action. He was lonely, depressed, and had given up hope. He saw no reason to live and therefore no reason to get his vision corrected. But finally, after many visits and much urging, the man did get the surgery, he did regain his vision, and it resulted in a significant improvement in his outlook on life. He could see again and he had hope again.
It turned out that the reason he finally agreed to get the surgery was not because it mattered to him, but because it mattered to Janet. Janet imparted meaning and significance to his suffering – she graced his suffering by showing him that it mattered and she cared.
I encourage you to go out of your way to convey grace to someone who is suffering. When you show them that you care it could very well convince them that God cares too.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 