How Do You Meet Needs?

I've been thinking, what are the things God in his Word tells us to do to meet needs, whether in our families, in the church, or in the world? And how good a job are we--am I--doing of paying attention to that?

Here's what the NT has to say about meeting needs in our families:

1. Wives submit to, love and respect your husbands; be a worker in your home
   
2. Children honor and obey your parents, take care of them physically in old age
3. Husbands love your wives as Christ loves the church, live with them in an understanding way
4. Fathers, bring up your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord and don't provoke them to anger

(Won't just these four things keep some of us busy for the rest of our lives?)

Here's a sampling of what the Bible says about meeting needs in the church:

1. Bear one another's burdens
2. Share one another's joys and sorrows
3. Share generously what you have with those in need
4. Show hospitality
5. Encourage each other in the Lord
6. Teach and exhort each other through singing together
7. Think about ways to stir one another up to love and good works
8. Forgive each other
9. Speak the truth in love to each other
10. Make disciples
    

(Those all apply in the home as well, by the way.)

And here's a sampling of what the Bible says about meeting needs in the world:

1. Always be ready to give a humble answer to those who want to know the reason for your hope
2. Do not be ashamed of Christ and his words before unbelievers
3. Share the gospel
4. Be willing to suffer for righteousness' sake so that unbelievers may see your good works and (perhaps in this life) give glory to God
5. Obey and honor the government authorities
6. Do not love the world or the things of the world

Our ideas of meeting needs often fall short or are even opposed to what God, in his authoritative word, says we should be doing. I'm convicted!


"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near" (Hebrews 10:24).