Are you a New Year’s resolution writer?
I’m not much of one, mainly because they don’t seem to last long.
But I always think we can do better at living more like Jesus and serving him well. I’m wondering what 2020 would be like if we adopted Jesus’s words from Matthew 25 as our resolutions.
- I was hungry and you gave me something to eat—While out grocery shopping, let’s pick up a few extras to drop off at a local food bank like Ephrata Area Social Services. Or we can tithe our food money as a cash donation to the food bank or to buy a gift card to send anonymously to a family we know who is struggling due to unemployment or illness.
- I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink—Clean water is vital to life. We can donate money to an international charity like Water.org or CharityWater.org that provides clean water or drills wells overseas. But we can also drink Humankind Water (each purchase funds water around the world) and carry bottles of it in our cars and pass them out to construction workers, mail deliverers or homeless people on a hot summer day.
- I was a stranger and you invited me in—Invite someone to lunch or over for dinner who is of a different ethnicity, nationality or faith. There is nothing like eating a meal with someone to break down barriers. If we honestly don’t know someone to ask, we could eat out at an ethnic restaurant and spend some time talking to the proprietor. Or we can volunteer with Church World Service to help new refugees feel welcomed to America.
- I needed clothes and you clothed me—Certainly we can donate our used clothing to nonprofits, but we can also take that Kohl’s Cash we’ve earned and add a gift card to it and donate to a local shelter so a resident can go shopping for their own new clothes. Or we can buy baby or maternity clothes and give them to a pregancy center like Susquehanna Valley Pregnancy Center to provide for another mother and child.
- I was sick and you looked after me—Being sick is discouraging. Sending a card or dropping off a care package or a meal can lift spirits. Or we can help cover a stranger’s medical costs via their GoFundMe page or send a check to someone we know who has had unexpected medical bills.
- I was in prison and you came to visit me—Prison Fellowship has opportunities for us to encourage prisoners and their families through prayer, by offering classes and mentorship, or in giving gifts to children in their parent’s name through project Angel Tree.
Jesus promises us,
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these
brothers and sisters of mine,
you did for me.”
Serving others is serving Jesus. Let’s resolve to do more of it in 2020.