I’ve spent the last sixteen years of my life obeying Isaiah 1:17:
“Take up the cause of the fatherless, plead the cause of the widow.”
I have done – and am doing – exactly what this passage tells us to do. Over the years, many of you have been following my progress. Maybe you’ve heard me in a workshop. Or you’ve been reading my blog. Or you’ve been following me on social media. Maybe you know me from all of these contexts.
A good number of you have responded by “taking up” and “pleading” the cause of the fatherless and the widow yourselves. Perhaps you’ve helped your church start a men’s team ministry to your widowed and single parents. Or maybe you’ve done other things to address the long term needs of these dear souls.
But the rest of you may have not. And so I am addressing this post to you.
It is not enough to read about the needs of their widowed and single parents in your church. It is also not enough to simply do a few kind gestures for them. They need you – I need you – to “take up” and “plead” their cause as well. We need you to stand up and speak up in your church for people with long term needs like the widow I heard from just this past weekend:
“As a widow, and a very sick one at that, I can tell you it’s not financial services I need. There is a lack of caring for the widows emotionally and spiritually. I do not seem to “fit in” to what the more modern church has in mind these days. I consider myself a mature Christian or I would have given up on churches all together. I can’t even get a visit when I am sick no matter what church I go to.”
I hear stories from widows like this one again and again. So now I’m asking you, my readers, to take action. Here’s what I suggest:
- Pull out your church directory and highlight all of the widows, widowers and single parents in it.
- Make your own list of these people and start praying for them.
- As you do, pray about what you can do for them.
- Take your list to your pastor or other appropriate church staff member and ask him or her to show you who on your list they would consider to be the neediest people.
- Then ask your pastor or staff member to help you form a plan of action that will address their needs effectively and permanently.
- At this point, I recommend you suggest they check out Meeting to Meet Needs.
- Whatever the case – whether your church takes action or not – make sure you personally pick out one person on that list and begin helping them consistently over time. Take a friend along with you to help you in your ministry. Don’t use your church’s inaction as an excuse for your own inaction.
Now look back over this list. Notice that there is nothing on it that any ordinary Christian cannot do. You can make a permanent difference in the life of at least one widow, widower, or single mom…and maybe also in the lives of many more.
You can do this! So stop reading and start doing.
This post first appeared in NewCommandment.org.
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Learn how to form teams of men for every widow, single mom
and fatherless child in your church at NewCommandment.org.
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