Being Jesus to Others All the Time

The Barna organization recently released a report that said “more than 150 million adults said they have been affected by the economic turbulence, and most of them expect it to take several years before the nation full recovers.” People have lost funds from their retirements and 401K accounts and in the values of their stocks and bonds.

Americans are being forced to cut back in so many ways—despite socio-economic status. According to their survey, “one out of every five households (20%) has decreased its giving to churches or other religious centers.”

We’re called to be Jesus to others all the time. So there are ways you can live out your values and help others in this crisis. The details of your plan may look different from mine, but here are a few suggestions: giving to your church food pantry, forming a prayer group for people you know who are suffering because of this, and definitely remaining faithful to tithe as God commanded in Scripture.

Matthew 6:25-26 gives an encouraging word for all of us: “Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky: they don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?”

It’s a scary time for many in our nation—maybe you’re right in the center of it—but God is in control, no matter what kind of “crisis” we may be living in. We’re to constantly be Jesus to others, connecting them to Him—especially during times like this.