But think for a moment. There are many orphans and widows who are lonely and sad even in our own ecclesias. They need a sympathetic ear and to feel the warmth and joy of sharing. The experience of a little fellowship would be of great benefit to them.
Have you ever thought how much it means to be invited into the home of a brother or sister, who, apart from the hope we share, would otherwise be a complete stranger?
Warm someone’s heart!
Each one of us can warm someone’s heart for Jesus’ sake by remembering the orphans and widows who are in our midst. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 25:40, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” To what extent are we prepared to practice self-denial? This is very essential to happiness.
Close contact and care
It is wise to be in close contact with our orphans and widows and to hold them as firmly as possible in the Truth. Sometimes there might not be any immediate family in the Truth who could take over, and being in the care of a relative may force them into isolation. If we are to even think of claiming to be believers with a hope of eternal life, we must care for others. Don’t be afraid to use all the available opportunities to help the poor and needy, the sick and the lonely, because Christ Jesus has given us a commandment (it’s not an option, you understand?) to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:33). Don’t put off the help you can give today, for tomorrow may be too late – for yourself as much as for others!
Taking in orphans and widows
Many of our Caribbean brethren and sisters have taken in quite a few orphans and widows. They have been well cared for, sometimes with the assistance of the Bible Mission, their ecclesia, or through individual generosity and effort. A number of these orphans have succeeded well in life. Much more importantly, nearly all of them have accepted the Truth joyfully and have become active workers for our Master. The little we do, as long as we do it willingly, is accepted in the sight of God, and He will certainly bless our efforts.
What can I give?
But what can I give to the orphans and widows? I can hardly survive off my tiny income!
The temple collection box into which the widow woman in Luke 21 dropped “all her living” was possibly for “poor relief,” including the care of widows and orphans. The amazing thing which Jesus observed was that it seems she didn’t consider herself “poor” at all! Poverty had not sucked dry her generosity of spirit.
However poor, we can give of our time and energy caring for others. In many cases these are more valuable than money. Do we visit and cheer an orphan who lives alone? When was the last time we wrote a letter of encouragement to an old widow? Even in the Caribbean many homes have telephones these days: have we called a shut-in widow recently? In the spirit of Luke 14:12, I could mention one brother with very limited income who uses his own phone very generously for that purpose but hardly at all for himself.
Long before the days of the Bible missions, a group of sisters in Georgetown, Guyana, organized a welfare group to care for widows and orphans. They visited the homes of brothers and sisters and, as one record states, “rendered to all assistance — spiritual, physical and whatever they could give in cash or kind.” At one point in the early years of the last century, when there were many hundreds of Christadelphians in the Caribbean, including some wealthy business people, one group of ecclesias actually formally established a “Christadelphian Building Society” to assist the homeless. And it must be remembered they had virtually no connection at that time with the rest of the brotherhood.
Surely we can bring happiness and joy to others by being concerned about their well being. Jesus promises that we will be blessed for our every effort to make life a little more tolerable for our orphans and widows.
Showing gratitude
Showing gratitude is a responsibility we so often overlook. In the record of the cleansing of the ten lepers, only one went out of his way to express his gratitude. Jesus asked, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?”
The best way of showing our appreciation for benefits received is by growing spiritually. The apostle Paul told Timothy that he expected widows who had been helped by the brethren and sisters to continue in prayer and supplication all day long! (I Tim. 5:5). Thanks should be given to God for His ever-providing hands. For all good gifts are ultimately “from above.” In verse 10, Paul exhorts widows to do good works, to help with the upbringing of children, to provide hospitality for strangers, to wash the feet of the saints, and to comfort the afflicted.
It behooves us to be watchful over our orphans and widows, while these in turn must endeavor to show appreciation for the benefits received by showing spiritual growth and bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One