Loving The Unlovely

Loving The Unlovely "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Proverbs 11:25 Over the past ten years I have been actively involved in a food distribution program, where we distribute food at a community resource center to the needy. During this time I have had the opportunity to minister to many people, and tell them about God. During this time, I have always invited these people to come to church with me, and many have taken me up on this opportunity. Unfortunately, many do not come, and will openly tell me that they do not feel accepted by the local churches, because of the way they dress. Most of these people do not have new clothes, and feel out of place in the churches, where many people come to church dressed in their finest attire, and someone who is shabbily dressed is often avoided, and not accepted. The churches that do not openly accept the poor, need to remember the ministry of Jesus, as He spent much of his time with the poor, unappealing people of His day. He talked with them, ate with them and genuinely cared for them, and He expects as much from us. "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." Matthew 25:45. Most Christians go to their big churches, and attend their Bible Study meetings, and hear their preachers talk about the churches outreach ministry, but do very little in reaching out even in their own churches to the poor and needy people in their midst. These are the people the church should be reaching out to, and take time to listen to, to encourage, and to see how they could meet an immediate need. A smile, a kind word, a listening ear, will show these people the love of God, and demonstrate concern about them. Be God's ambassador, and reach out to these people today. Love the unlovely and God will love you for it. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven​ July 12