ODJ: help the weak
April 10, 2010
Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone (v.14).
READ: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
On April 25, 2003, 13-year-old Natalie Gilbert was singing the United States National Anthem for a National Basketball Association (NBA) playoff game. Shortly into the song, nerves got the best of young Gilbert and she completely blanked on the words. That’s when “Mo” Cheeks, the coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, intervened.
Even though Cheeks couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, he quickly came alongside the struggling youngster and helped her finish the song. Before it was over, all of the players and fans joined in to pull her through. Later, the relieved singer commented, “He totally saved me . . . I tried to start over again, but the words wouldn’t come.”
As I watched “Mo” Cheeks and the others come to her aid, it reminded me of the kind of help Paul had in mind when he wrote, “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
As he wrapped up his first of two letters to the church of Thessalonica, Paul reiterated this same idea to his readers: “Take tender care of those who are weak” (1 Thessalonians 5:14).
Those who are weak and floundering are in need of help. And those who are in a position of strength have an opportunity to help. So when you see someone struggling under a heavy load, be open to intervene with whatever resources God has given you. Lend a hand. Offer a shoulder to cry on. Help a neighbor finish a project, or pay a bill for a friend who lost his job.
Helping out those in a weakened state is a powerful way to share Christ with others. Come alongside and sing along with them! —Jeff Olson
What struggling person in your life will you help today? When you assist the weak, how does that reflect the heart of Jesus?
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