4:210 – Care and Feeding

#faithbites #faithjourney care

Setting

My best friend shared this image with me and said I could use it for a #faithbites. It really hit home. I have so many friends who do things for me and I feel that I’m not worthy or I don’t deserve it because I can’t reciprocate in the same way. Some have more money than I or more technical skills or more everything and I’m just me. No matter what I do, they still love me and cherish our friendship. They love me for being me.

When I was active in Alpha Phi Omega, we had a term called Care and Feeding. This was usually used for our voting delegates as they couldn’t leave the floor for long periods of time. We would make sure they had snacks, trinkets, and whatever they needed to be able to do the work ahead. Each person took the role of care and feeding differently as each person needed something different. Those on the receiving end may not have thought they deserve it, but their service allowed us to do other things.

In our faith, the biggest example of this is Jesus dying on the cross. We didn’t deserve his love and sacrifice but he did it because he loved us. We have a chance to take care of those who may not feel they deserve Christ’s love because they do through him and his sacrifice.

Today’s questions: How do you care and feed for those around you? Do you feel they deserve your assistance? How do others take care of and feed you? Do you think you deserve their assistance?

Scripture

• 1 Timothy 5:8 – But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
• Ephesians 2:4-9 – ⁴ But^[a] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Reflection

We are called to provide for our relatives. 1 Timothy doesn’t say that we provide if they are deserving or we only take care of those who serve us. It says if we don’t provide then we have denied our faith. We should give and do because we can and we are emulated Jesus, not because we will get something in return. We see this in Ephesians where God gave Jesus for us, even though we were dead in our trespasses. You could also read this as having no value. But through Christ we were saved.

The other major part of this, is we need to acknowledge people for those values. Sometimes a friend’s ear is more valuable than money. Maybe a friend helping you clean out the garage is more service than you buying them something. We all have different skills, abilities, and treasures. They aren’t apples to apples. We need to see the value in all things and take care of one another not because they or we deserve it, but because Christ took care of us when we had no value.

As we close, remember that you are on both sides of this. Let people know that their friendship is more important than things. Help them to understand that they are giving what you need. Likewise, when when you receive, know that you are also giving your friendship, time, and energy to that person. Don’t just what you give or receive, value is in the eye of the person receiving.

Prayer

Father God, thank you for your friendship. Thank you for those who give, including yourself, when we don’t feel worthy. Help us to know that our friendship and our skills are enough through you. We also pray that you help us to be good gives and to take care of others regardless of their ability to “return the favor”. It isn’t about that, but about serving, loving, and growing the kingdom. In your name, Amen.