Love In Action

Read Matthew 25:31-40

"Then I, the King, shall say to those on my right, 'Come, blessed of my Father, into the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes; naked and you clothed me, sick and in prison, and you visited me.'

"Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Sir, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you anything to drink? Or a stranger, and help you? Or naked, and clothe you? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?'

"And I, the King, will tell them, 'When you did it to these my brothers you were doing it to me!"

Matthew 25: 34-40 (TLB)

One day Tomeka B. Scales, from Maryland, stopped into a store to buy a birthday gift for someone, and she saw a man asking customers for change. Many people passed by him and ignored his pleas for assistance. Tomeka kept a few care packages in her car, so she decided to give one to him. When she struck up a conversation with the man, she learned a lot about him. But most important, she learned that what he needed was a listening ear. God calls us to be light for others. Even something as small as a conversation can make a world of difference to the lonely and brokenhearted.

Today's scripture reading reminds us that God is pleased when we lend a helping hand. Our good deeds reflect a grateful heart, and our acts of service and compassion for others point to our relationship with God. We become love in action when we are able to recognize and meet the needs of others. How can we show others that God lives within us and that God can live within them too?

Prayer: Gracious God, may we become love in action through our compassion and care for all your children. Help us to give and receive your love with humility and grace, in Jesus' name. Amen.