Our Priority
2005
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
-1 John 3:18 (NIV)
ONE day a student of mine, Andrew, came to inform me that he needed to take a week off from school because his mother had died unexpectedly. I had noticed he looked pale and sad, but I was very busy that day and didn’t take time to find out more about his situation. I just nodded my head and walked away.
The next day during my quiet time with the Lord, I came across 1 John 3:18. That verse made me realize how insensitive I had been to Andrew and the importance of putting God’s love into action. When I asked Andrew about his situation, he told me he was an only child and his father had died when he was very young. He became an orphan after his mother’s death. Andrew had to move in with his uncle, a poor farmer who already had six children of his own.
A school-wide donation was organized for Andrew. Some of the other teachers and I took him the food, clothing, and money that was collected. We could see great relief and thankfulness in his eyes. Andrew is now attending the local church’s youth fellowship. He seems to know that God is with him daily.
Grace Lim Shok Lan (Sarawak, Malaysia)
Prayer
O God, teach us to be people-centered instead of task-centered. Amen.
Thought For The Day
Do you put priority on people or on things?
Prayer Focus
People around us who need help
