Don't Forget Them

Last week, I shared a little about Hebrews 13:3, “Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.” As I was reading this chapter recently, I noticed a link between that verse and another one farther down. Hebrews 13:16 says:

And do not forget to do good and share with those who are in need, for these are also sacrificial gifts that make Creator’s heart glad. (FNV)

Verse 3 challenges us to remember those who are imprisoned and being mistreated. Then, verse 16 calls us not to forget to do good and be generous to people in need.

Remember these people. Don’t forget them.

Now, I think “remembering” and “not forgetting” are talking about more than a mental activity. When someone asks you to “go to the store,” they don’t want you to travel to the store, turn around, and come home. There are several other, unspoken steps implied in “go to the store”: enter the building, find the items on the list, purchase those things, bring them home. I think that’s also true for “remember.” It implies seeking people out, learning what they need, and 'doing good and sharing'—as well as remembering them in your prayers.

And yet, how often do we fail to love and serve our neighbors because we simply and literally forgot about them?

People eating lunch every day at the soup kitchen in a part of town you usually avoid.

Those who suffer behind closed doors, away from prying eyes—children or spouses suffering from neglect or abuse.

A friend who once mentioned a struggle with suicidal thoughts, who you’d just assumed has gotten over it by now.

Out of sight, out of mind, right? Life’s so busy, things are always falling through the cracks. If you can forget to call your Dad on Father’s Day—sorry again, Dad!—you can certainly forget about people whose situations and needs rarely (if ever!) intersect with your daily life.

Remember these people. Don’t forget them. That may mean more than ‘recalling that they exist’—but that is step one, without which you’ll never do them a lick of good.

Remembering things is not a strength of mine. Special occasions, urgent tasks, important meetings? You might as well ask me my 8^th grade locker combination.

I do all kinds of things to compensate for that: I’ve carved out some consistent, daily routines, to get myself stuck in helpful ruts; I write things on my calendar; I keep a to-do list on the phone; I have daily and weekly alarms and reminders going off constantly. Because I’m naturally very forgetful, I use the tools I have to create an environment where forgetting is almost impossible.

What could help you remember these people and needs that would be so easy to forget? What tools, what sorts of reminders could you use to keep people and situations that are out of sight in your mind?

Don’t forget to do good and share with those who are in need. That kind of sacrificial love touches God’s heart.

You can also listen to this week's devotional right here:

As Yourself

Recently I was reading through Hebrews, and I found myself really struck by a few lines in chapter 13. Hebrews 13 isn’t a chapter I’ve given much thought to before. It’s a bit of a grab-bag, where it feels like the author’s throwing in a word or two on as many topics as he can before he runs out of paper to write on. But the wide range of topics is one reason I enjoyed it so much this go-round—it’s like reading a chapter in Proverbs that hits on twenty different subjects, but seven of them get you right between the eyes.

For instance, Hebrews 13:3: “Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.” (NLT) I’ve done a lot of ministry in prisons over the years, so this verse has always stood out to me, but I heard something in it this time that I never have before. Remember these people, the author exhorts, as if it were you. Give as much attention to those in prison as you’d give your own predicament if you were there. Feel the wounds of those who are mistreated as keenly as you’d feel it in your own bodies.

In other words, this verse is a call to love your neighbor as yourself (Lev 19:18; Mark 12:31).

It’s easy to hear that old, familiar adage without giving much thought to those two words on the end. But Hebrews doesn’t let us off the hook. It brings us face-to-face with the meaning of “as yourself.” What would you do about it if you were the one in prison? How would you respond if you were the one in pain? That is how you ought to respond to your neighbors in those circumstances. Put yourself in their shoes, and then take action like your life and well-being depended on it. Love them as yourself.

This verse offers us a model for how to apply this great commandment from Jesus. All you need to do is substitute different neighbors into the formula:

Remember those in nursing homes, as if you were there yourself.

Remember those in foster care, as if you were there yourself.

Remember those with depression, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.

Those fighting cancer, as if you felt their sickness, uncertainty, and fear. Those in the grip of addiction, as if you faced the failure, shame, homelessness, and hopelessness they do. Those going through a divorce, those grieving the loss of a child or of a spouse, those in constant fear of racial discrimination, those whose communities have been leveled by tornadoes… The list could go on and on.

But each time, “as yourself” challenges us to imagine their hurts and needs, or to remember a time when we were in a similar situation, and then to love them in the ways we would hope for, if our situations were reversed.

Love them with the thoughtful acts of service and support, the healing words, and the steady presence you’d hope for, if it were you.

Love them as yourself.

Listen to this week's devotional right here:

Words Matter

When I was growing up, the only Bible verse about our words that I knew was Ephesians 5:4: “neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.” I tried to use that to convince people not to cuss. (It went over really well.) That was about the extent of my concern with the things we say.

As I’ve gotten older, though, I’ve found myself drawn more and more to the different teachings in Proverbs that have to do with how we talk to each other. Things like

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (12:18)

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (15:1)

The righteous heart reflects before answering, but the wicked mouth blurts out evil. (15:28)

I think this newfound interest in how we use our words has to do with all of the different roles I find myself playing in life these days. I’m a father. I’m a husband. I’m a boss. I'm a teacher. I have to lead committee meetings. I have to step into some very emotionally fraught situations—moments of grief, hurt, anxiety, and conflict. The longer I’ve worn those hats, the more I’ve recognized how important these teachings are.

All of that had me primed for hearing an old, familiar passage with new ears recently. I was reading through James, when I came to 1:26-27 (FNV):

All who represent themselves as spiritual but do not keep their tongue under control are only fooling themselves—their spirituality is worthless. But the one whose spirituality is pure and spotless before our Father the Great Spirit* takes care of widows and orphans, and keeps himself free from the evil ways of this world.

I’ve always loved verse 27 for its emphasis on caring for people who are vulnerable and in need, but this time verse 26 really struck me. James is pretty blunt here: if your spirituality doesn’t affect how you speak to other people, it’s worthless.

I don’t think he stresses our words because that’s the single most important activity we engage in. I think he stresses our words because that’s about the most basic activity we engage in. We speak to people all day long. With phones and social media, that’s truer now than ever. If our faith doesn’t impact this basic, constant activity, which directly affects everyone we interact with—then, really, what good is it?

From where James is standing, it’s worthless.

I want to leave us with a couple of questions today:

• Are you deliberate about how you speak to other people, or are you usually just saying whatever comes into your mind?
• Do any of those verses from Proverbs particularly speak to you?
• Is there one relationship or one environment in your life where you need to become more intentional about letting your faith affect your words, tone, and body language? What would be step one?

* The First Nations Version is a translation of the New Testament that’s written for Native American readers. One difference from most English translations is that it doesn’t use the term “God,” which Western readers are so familiar with, but instead talks about “the Great Spirit,” a phrase more familiar for Native Americans.

You can listen to this week's devotional here: