Compassion, Faith & Action

Acts 3:^6-7 “But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”  Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed…”

Yesterday, we looked at our first lesson, compassion, from the four friends in the story in Mark 2:1-12 [please read]. 1 Cor. 10:²⁴ “People should be concerned about others and not just about themselves.” (GW, emphasis added). Now it is important to mention that the reason people are not concerned about others is not that they are evil or wicked. The reason people are not concerned about others is that they are concerned about themselves. I have bills to pay, I have people to take care of, I have this to do, I have that to do that. So, we just block our eyes to the needs of others. But the Word of God says we should be concerned about others.

Our second lesson of these four men is Faith. They had faith, they actually believed Jesus can and will heal their friend. Luke 5:²⁰ “When Jesus saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’” (NIV, emphasis added). Yes, Jesus saw the faith of the man that was lowered but it took the faith of his friends to put the man’s faith in a position for Jesus to respond to his faith. It is your move; you need to believe that God will step into that your cousin’s situation or your spouse’s challenge. That is what will propel you to carry them into God’s presence. What I am saying is that God wants to use your faith in someone else’s life. God wants to use your faith! Most times, we want to use our faith for our own issues, but God wants to use our faith for someone else.

Rom. 1:¹² “I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you.” (NCV, emphasis added). Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you. God wants to use your faith in my life and use my faith in your life. Sometimes, we look at other people and we think that our faith cannot do anything for them. Yes, it can! God wants us to help each other with the faith that we have. 1 Thes.5:¹¹ “So encourage each other and give each other strength.” (NCV). God wants you to use your faith in other people’s lives even as He stirs up other people to use their faith in your life.

Our third lesson is Action. These four men did not just fast and pray for their friend, they took action. Matt.9:² “They brought to Jesus a man who was paralyzed and lying on a mat.” (NCV, emphasis added). This is Matthew’s account of the same event.  Their friend was in bad shape, and I am sure they spent time praying for him. But they did not stop there, they demonstrated faith and swung into action. Prayer should be a motivation to act not an excuse for not acting. The challenge sometimes with us Christians is that we are praying and praying but we are not acting. It is time to act, it is your move. Sometimes, we are in a move of God and our heart goes to certain people who we wish could experience this. That is great but what are you going to do about it? Are you just going to pray? God wants you and I to do something about it.

Prayer: Father, as I reach out to people and bring them before You, heal, deliver, set free, restore, and save them all my Father, in Jesus Name. Amen!