First Baptist Church St. Simons Island

Be The Hands and Feet Of Jesus

Be The Hands and Feet Of Jesus

Optional Scripture: James 5:7-10 (lectionary text)

During November our Sunday School class has been studying the book of James. I like to think of it as God’s Little Instruction Book for Christians. James is short and blunt on our need to be doers of the word and not hearers only.

One of my most memorable Christmases was in the eighties when my two grown daughters were still in elementary school. Fran and I were in Earl Swicord’s class, and we were given the opportunity to help a family in need that Christmas. Our assigned family was a single mom with two young daughters about the same ages as ours. We were given clothing sizes and ages to help in our gift selection. We took our girls along shopping, letting them select just what they thought would make another little girl happy on Christmas morning. We then let the girls wrap their gifts and we all piled into the car to personally deliver them. We knocked on the door of the apartment in their modest neighborhood, and were greeted with very little furniture, and a small Christmas tree with nothing underneath. Our girls helped carry in all the gifts that they had selected, and we filled the space under that tree to the obvious delight of two other wide eyed little girls.

It was a great Christmas lesson for my family. The girls saw that there are many less fortunate, and that they could do something, no matter how small, to help. As you and your family celebrate this Christmas, be alert to ways you can be the hands and feet of Jesus by helping others in need. In this way, you will experience the joy of being a doer of the Word.