Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Hands and Feet
By Brita Crouse

“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”

They are everywhere. They are seen daily on the news. They are discussed by our friends and neighbors. They live in our communities. They pass us by without our even realizing. Who are “they”? The oppressed. “They” are those who are hurting, lost, and in need of Jesus.

Jesus commands us to care for the oppressed. His Word is teeming with these charges. Why? Maybe because He knew that, for all time, people would be suffering and in need of Him.

God has been convicting me to follow this command more diligently in my daily life. Why should I be so blessed when so many around me are in need? Shouldn’t I be sharing Jesus with these people who are desperate for a Savior?

Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to be obedient to this command toward victims of horrors I cannot even fathom. Every Wednesday night, I make the 30-minute drive to a center for abused women and children. Here, I have the blessing of being an advocate for children who have been victimized in their own homes. 

Why do I do this? Because I want to? No, most nights my selfish human nature tries to convince me that I am too tired after a long day of work to do anything of worth. Because it’s fun? Not always. Many times I have left the center in tears, either from frustration or grief for the things these children have witnessed. Because I am paid to do it? Nope, I actually lose money in all the gas I use driving back and forth!

I do this because I am called to, and the One who is calling me is the One who created those children; the One who never intended for their lives to be full of suffering; the One who wants to be made known to each of them. Here, I feel as if God is using me for what I was created to do. Here, I get to be His hands and feet. That’s why I do it.

In some way, it has been communicated to these kids that they are unloved and unwanted, so when my greatest commandment is to love, how could I not obey?

Take the opportunities you are given to be obedient and become the hands and feet of Jesus to the oppressed. In return, you will be blessed more innumerably than you could ever imagine.

GOING DEEPER:
1.  Who can you reach out to this week?
2.  What are local ministries/organizations that you can plug into?

FURTHER READING:

Brita recently moved back to her home state of Wisconsin where she works as an Elementary School Counselor. She and her family have attended Oakwood for 20 years.