Having A Mission-Minded Heart

Religion that God our Father accepts as
pure and faultless is this: to look after 

orphans and widows in their distress and 

to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 1:27

God wants us to have a heart for the orphans, for the fatherless.  Sadly, no matter what country you live in, you don't have to look far to find the orphans.  We live in a hurting world with orphans all over.  Children who go to bed at night without a mommy and daddy to tuck them in.  Children who have never had a story read to them.  Children who go to bed literally starving.  Children who feel lost and alone.  God wants us to reach out to them.  We need to have a mission-minded heart.  

Are we reaching out?

Are we teaching our children to love the orphans?

Photo Source

If your family is in a position to, I encourage you to contact a Christian sponsorship program like World Vision or Compassion International.  Our children's ministry at church has sponsored a precious little girl from El Salvador.  Our children in the church collect change all month long to support our little girl.  We pray for her as a group and encourage our children to pray for her at home.  Her beautiful little picture is posted in our kitchen as a reminder to pray for her and collect our change for her.

Maybe you don't have the money to sponsor a child, but you can still pray.  Daily pray that God would bless the orphans and send people there to help them.

Check locally at shelters and see where you can volunteer to help serve the widows, orphans and homeless.  You can donate old blankets, coats, shoes and even teddy bears.  Why throw them out when someone can be blessed by them.  You can donate time to help out at shelters.

Look around your own church and neighborhood.  Is there a widow who could use some help around her home?  Maybe just a friend to have tea with.  Is there a single mom struggling?  Maybe she could use a free babysitter or help with the laundry.  Is there an elderly man or woman in a nursing home with no family to visit?  They could use someone to show them they are loved.

I want my children to grow up with a servant's heart.  A heart to reach out and care about others.  They will only grow up with that if they first see it in me, if I model that to them now.  Are you showing your kids how to have a mission-minded heart?  A servant's heart?

Linking with:

Legacy Leaver Thursday

Thought Provoking Thursday 

Proverbs 31 Thursday

Thriving Thursday