Caring for Our Own

I'm sure you've been troubled as I have been to read the recent stories this week on the failure of the government to provide financial compensation to the families of those fallen soldiers in the armed forces. While no amount of money can truly "compensate" for the death of a loved one, anyone who has lost family or gone through a significant change in family circumstances can relate to the financial burdens and needs the quickly accrue. I've prayed that our federal government would soon come to resolution to end the shutdown and begin fulfilling its duties and responsibilities. The whole situation, however, makes me think of Acts 6 and the challenges the early church faced concerning the financial and circumstantial needs of its members. The Jews had a long practice of providing for those in need in the community but as the church grew diverse and multi–ethnic an issue arose concerning the Hellenistic (Greek–background) widows and orphans. Essentially, some in need in the church were being overlooked. The apostles recognized that it was beyond their gifts and capabilities to do anything personally about this situation, but nevertheless they saw these needs as a pressing issue facing the church and resolved quickly to appoint servants of the church to help minister to those in the church. It was this position which would later form the basic structure of what Paul calls "deacons." There are many important truths laid out in this scenario, but the one that strikes me this morning is how important the apostles concerned these ministries of "mercy," and the sense of responsibility they had for the families who belonged to the church. Remember that one of the things that troubled Paul most about the Corinth church was how many within that church were more concerned about meeting their own needs and desires than those of others. While I do believe that it is important that the federal government provide for the families of those who have died in military service, I find that much of our government's entitlement programs are programs which in fact should be taken up by the church. The church has a responsibility to love our community by assisting those in need, and a particular responsibility to provide for those within the family. Clearly, we cannot take up every social cause in our community, but we can and we should take up every cause within our church family. None among us should ever go without. Part of being stewards of the church which God has given us means being good stewards of the brothers and sisters with which God has blessed us. Let us not turn a blind eye to those in our fellowship who are hurting or in need, but bless others as we have been blessed.