Helping Others to Find Peace in the Grip of Chaos
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? James 2:14-16
If you are experiencing the peace of God, your heart surely goes out to those among your family, friends, and co-workers who aren’t experiencing the same. The current crisis has induced varying degrees of anxiety, even among our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to help one another experience “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding.”
The most important thing we can do is to introduce an unbeliever to the Prince of Peace. He is the only One who can guard hearts and minds with perfect peace.
One way to do that is to demonstrate our own faith in God through acts of kindness and love. You may be certain that the world is watching the response of Christians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Will they know we are Christians by our faith and love?
James addresses the connection between faith and works in verses 14-16 of the second chapter of the book by his name. He warns against saying to our brothers or sister, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed” without doing something about the situations in which they are finding themselves. Similarly, in this COVID-19 era, it does little good to tell our brothers and sisters (and those who don’t yet know Christ) not to be anxious, to take their worries to God, unless we demonstrate our own faith through our actions.
These actions can be so simple, but they do require unselfishness, putting the needs of others before our own needs. If you have toilet paper, bread, eggs, meat, or milk and someone else is worried about not having enough, then give of what you have. Drop off food to a food bank. Double your offering to your church to compensate for your neighbor who longer has a job or income. If you are one of the “less vulnerable” to the virus, serve those who aren’t by running essential errands. Your faith, your love, and your peace, all which come from God, will be evident to those who are struggling.
What will you do to spread peace in the grip of chaos today?
Father, Your peace does transcend understanding. Thank You for guarding our hearts and minds with it. Help us to spread Your peace to others in the grip of chaos and anxiety through simple acts of kindness and love. In the Name of Jesus, Amen!