Love in Action: Being There for Your Faith Family

Looking to strengthen your relationships? Abide can help. Download the app for Christian meditations on relationships specifically designed to foster love, understanding, and forgiveness within your connections with others.

I have a good friend who lives far away. Two years ago her husband had a hard landing during a paragliding trip and broke his back. While he was recovering—and he seemed to be doing well—he suffered a massive heart attack that robbed his brain of oxygen for an extended time. The words “brain damage” from the doctor floored her. I was hundreds of miles away. What she needed right then was love in action, a Christian community that would gather around her and help her in this devastating time of need. 

But that didn’t happen. 

Over the next two years, and continuing today, my friend has suffered nearly alone. Because of some judgmental attitudes in the church they attended, they had left that fellowship before Covid hit, and haven’t been back to a church since. Then the accident happened, and she had no one. 

What would seem to be simple things like yard work, pool maintenance, housecleaning, car repairs, and grocery shopping take more energy—and money—than she can muster. She works full time to keep their medical insurance because her husband had been self-employed. She needs help. What she desperately needs is to see Jesus’ love in action. 

Here are some ways you can show love in action to someone in your Christian community—not just in the hard times, but in the good times as well. 

Don’t Overschedule Yourself 

This may seem counterintuitive. How can you give someone time if you don’t schedule them in? Well, it’s called “white space” in the publishing world. Those nice white borders you see around the text of something you read. It means that things aren’t crowded. If you fill up your calendar with all kinds of activities, you aren’t leaving space for emergencies—or spontaneous celebrations. 

Let’s say you have a recently widowed friend. She calls you because her car won’t start, and she has a doctor’s appointment. Uber or Lyft are too expensive. Could you give her a ride? Problem is, your calendar is completely filled with activities. The kids need to go to this lesson or this friend’s house. Or you’ve promised to help at the church, or someone asked you to volunteer on this committee, or . . .  The things that eat up your time—though they may be good—steal your ability to show love in action to your friend in need. 

That doesn’t mean you sit around with nothing to do, just waiting for someone to need you. What it does mean is that you leave white space in your days so you can call your friend and say hey, can I come over and clean your bathrooms for you? Or go to the grocery store? Or just hang out with you so you know you’re not alone? What about going to lunch to celebrate a new job or a promotion? White space means availability. 

Ask Questions 

We all have our lives to live. I get that. Days go by and I forget to follow up with a friend about her previous prayer request. And in the middle of a crisis, they’re not going to think about keeping everyone informed. So we need to reach out. My sisters live far away, so I regularly check in with them in our chat grouip. I text my 80-something aunt every once in a while to see how she’s doing. I regularly get together, or at least call or text a friend who lost her oldest daughter several years ago. 

Every week during Sunday lunch with our family we ask, “What were the highs and lows from this past week?” It’s a simple question, and it helps us learn what they’ve been experiencing. 

We can’t know what’s going on in someone’s life unless they tell us. And many times they don’t tell us because they think we already know somehow, or they simply don’t think of it. For my friend whose husband is now disabled, I messaged her around Thanksgiving to see what they were going to do. I knew they couldn’t go anywhere, and I was pretty sure she wasn’t up to cooking. So I offered to have a nice Thanksgiving meal sent from a local restaurant. A simple gesture that just cost me some money but let her know that she was in our thoughts. 

A quick text or phone call can answer a lot of questions about how someone is doing.  

Pray 

How many times have you told someone you would pray for them, and then you go about your day and forget? We’ve all done it. It’s okay. But what shows love in action is actual prayer. If you’re talking with someone and they ask for prayer, ask them if you can pray for them right then. If you get a text asking for prayer, before you reply with the little praying hands emoji, pray. And then follow up. In a couple of days or the next day, depending on what you’re praying about, ask them how things are going. That kind of follow-through lets them know you really care.  

Acts 2:42 says, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Prayer changes things and letting someone know you just prayed for them will bring them comfort and encouragement. 

Celebrate the Good Things 

Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” Just as we need to be there for our community when things are hard, we need to be there in the good times. 

In our family, we like to celebrate achievements. My daughter recently completed her Associate of Arts degree, then finished her first semester at university. Her oldest brother earned his brown belt in Taekwondo. My middle child got a job after months of looking. Our grandson participated in a performance with his kindergarten class. I had a book published. We gathered as a family over a meal and celebrated those milestones. 

Big thing or small, people like to be celebrated. You can show love in action by celebrating whatever needs to be celebrated with your Christian community. Have a friend who had a baby? Bring balloons to the hospital or flowers to their home. Someone’s child graduate from high school? Send a card and a monetary gift if you can.  

I have a friend who’s looking to retire in a few months. Our group of friends is already thinking about how we’re going to celebrate that milestone for her. When you show up for celebrations, people can feel your love. 

Put Love into Action 

Buying that Thanksgiving meal for my friends across the country showed them in a tangible way that we care about them, even if we’re far away. A good question to ask is, “What does help look like to you right now?” Maybe cleaning their house helps them process their thoughts, but they hate going to the grocery store. Perhaps sending a team from your church to their house to do yardwork and car maintenance if they’re unable to handle those chores. 

There are myriad ways we can put love into action. We’re encouraged in Galatians 6:2 to “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Words are easy, but “be warm and filled” doesn’t get you very far. Do something they actually need.  

Listen to a short segment of this Abide meditation based on James 1:27. Let God speak to your heart about putting faith and love into action. 

Let Abide Help

Sometimes love in action simply means reaching out via phone, letter, or text to let someone know you’re thinking about them. They’re not forgotten. I set a reminder on my phone to text my faraway friend. When I asked her what she needed most, that’s what she said she wanted: to not feel alone. From such a great distance, I can’t do much physically, but I can pray. And I can listen. Both of these let her know she is loved. 

Let Abide be your daily companion as you seek to show love in action to your faith family. Our more than 1500 guided meditations all exist to immerse you in the Word of God. The more you love God, the more He helps you love people. Download the app and start a premium subscription. This will unlock our entire library of content. Use this link for 25% off.

Stephanie Reeves is the senior editor for Abide. She and her husband live in Orlando, Florida, as do their three adult kids and one adorable grandson.