When Jackie Robinson, the first black player in modern-day Major League Baseball, played at Shibe Park in Philadelphia on May 9, 1947, ten-year-old Doris was in the upper-deck stands with her father. When an elderly black man made his way down the aisle to a seat next to them, her father led the way in getting acquainted. Doris said their conversation about scorekeeping made her feel “grown up.” She later reflected, “I’ve never forgotten that man and his smiling face.” The delightful interaction between Doris, a young white girl, and the kind, elderly man, who was the son of slaves, was a bright spot that day.

This was in stark contrast, however, to the hateful conduct Robinson had experienced at another game that season. He recounted that “in terms of race, they yelled everything at me; it was quite vicious.”

Vicious conduct isn’t limited to sports fields. Homes, neighborhoods, workspaces, and even our churches can be places where ugliness wins. Those who believe in the God who displayed kindness through His Son (see Titus 3:4), however, are called to do the same. Peter writes: “Be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.  Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult” (1 Peter 3:8-9). Kindness triumphs when those who’ve received it from God share it generously with others as the Spirit helps them.

Eric’s childhood challenges included a severe skin rash, difficulties in school, and getting high on alcohol or drugs daily from a very early age. Yet, the one who dubbed himself as the “king of bad” found that he excelled on the baseball field—until he abandoned baseball after becoming discouraged by discrimination. This allowed him even more time for using and dealing drugs.

Things changed for Eric, however, when he had a life-altering encounter with Jesus while attending a church service. At his job the next day, a dedicated believer in Jesus invited Eric to attend yet another church service where he heard these words that encouraged him in his new-found faith: “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17 kjv). Eric’s life has never been the same.

Like Eric, Saul of Tarsus (also known as Paul) would’ve been classified as a “tough case.” He said, “I am the worst” of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). He was “once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man” (v. 13). Like Saul, Eric was just right for Jesus. And so are we, even if we don’t view ourselves in the same league as Saul or Eric, for “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We’re all just right for Jesus.

Ms. Charlene, my friend Dwayne’s mother, is ninety-four years old, under five feet tall, and weighs less than a hundred pounds. Yet this doesn’t stop her from doing what she can to care for her son whose physical health prevents him from caring for himself. Visits to their two-story home often find her on the second floor where she resides. Slowly, she descends sixteen stairs to the first floor to greet her guests, just as she does to assist in caring for the son whom she loves.

Ms. Charlene’s selfless determination convicts, challenges, and inspires me as she prioritizes her son’s well-being over her own. She models what Paul encourages in Philippians 2: “In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (vv. 3-4).

Caring for those who have health challenges or other needs can be costly. The demands of life can be all-consuming, and even those closest to us can be shortchanged if we’re not intentional about taking our eyes off ourselves. But humbly caring and sharing is what believers in Jesus are called to do (see vv. 1-2). When we give of ourselves, we follow the example of Jesus and help others in the process. The apostle reminds us: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (v. 5).

“You know Jesus loves you. He really loves you.” Those were the last words of John Daniels. Just seconds after he’d given a homeless man money and shared those parting words, he was struck by a car and instantly killed. The printed program for the service that celebrated John’s life included these words: “He wanted to figure out how he could reach more people, so on a Sunday afternoon, trying to help a man in need, God gave him a way to reach the world. All of the local TV channels carried the news and it reached friends, family, and many others all over the country.”

Though John Daniels wasn’t a preacher, he was compelled to tell others about Jesus. So was Paul. In Acts 20, the apostle expressed his zeal for the gospel in his parting words to the church leaders at Ephesus: “My only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace” (v. 24).

The good news of forgiveness and new life in Jesus is too good not to share with others. Some believers are more skilled at explaining the gospel than others. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, all who’ve experienced its life-changing power can tell their story of God’s love.

The year 2022 was very special for my wife and me. That’s the year our granddaughter, Sophia Ashley, was born—the only granddaughter of our eight grandchildren. Sophia’s grandparents haven’t stopped smiling! When our son calls via video, the excitement gets ramped up even more. My wife and I may be in different rooms, but her joyful shrills reveal that she’s getting a glimpse of Sophia. Seeing those we love from afar is now only a call or click away.

The ability to see the person we’re talking to on the phone is relatively new, but face time with God—prayer with a conscious awareness of being in His presence—is not. David’s prayer in Psalm 27—said in the midst of opposition that required assistance beyond the capability of the closest human allies (vv. 10-12)—includes these words: “My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming’ ” (v. 8 nlt).

Difficult times rightly compel us to “seek his face,” but that’s not the only time we can or should be in face-to-face fellowship with the one in whose “presence is fullness of joy.” At His “right hand are pleasures forevermore” (16:11 nkjv). If you listen closely, at any time you may hear Him say, “Come and talk with me.”

Tre is a regular at the fitness center and it shows. His shoulders are wide, his muscles pronounced, and his upper arms close to the size of my thighs. His physical condition prompted me to engage him in a spiritual conversation. I asked him if his commitment to physical fitness in some way mirrored a healthy relationship with God. Though we didn’t go too deep, Tre did acknowledge “God in his life.” We talked long enough for him to show me a picture of the four-hundred-pound, unfit, unhealthy version of himself. A change in his lifestyle had worked wonders physically.

In 1 Timothy 4:6-10, physical and spiritual training come into focus. “Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (vv. 7-8). One’s external fitness doesn’t change our status with God. Our spiritual fitness is a matter of the heart. It begins with a decision to believe in Jesus, through whom we receive forgiveness. From that point, training for godly living begins. This includes being “nourished on the truths of the faith and of . . . good teaching” (v. 6) and, by God’s strength, living a life that honors our heavenly Father.

On my morning walk, I noticed that a vehicle was stopped in the road headed in the wrong direction. The driver was unaware of the danger to herself and others because she was asleep and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. The situation was perilous, and I had to act. After getting her alert enough to move her to the passenger side of the car so I could get into the driver’s seat, I drove her to a safe place.

Physical danger isn’t the only harm we face. When Paul saw worldly-wise, clever people in Athens in spiritual peril because “the city was full of idols,” he “was greatly distressed” (Acts 17:16). The apostle’s innate response to those who flirted with ideas that failed to consider Christ was to share about God’s purposes in and through Jesus (vv. 18, 30-31). And some who heard believed (v. 34).

Seeking ultimate meaning apart from faith in Christ is dangerous. Those who’ve found forgiveness and true fulfillment in Jesus have been rescued from dead-end pursuits and have been given the message of reconciliation (see 2 Corinthians 5:18-21). Sharing the good news of Jesus with those under the intoxicating influences of this life is still the means God uses to snatch people from harm’s way.

The human heart is an amazing organ. This fist-sized pumping station weighs between 7 and 15 ounces. Daily it beats around 100,000 times and pumps 2,000 gallons of blood through the 60,000 miles of blood vessels in our bodies! With such a strategic assignment and heavy workload, it’s understandable why heart health is central to the wellbeing of the entire body. Medical science encourages us to pursue healthy habits because the condition of our heart and the quality of our health go together.

While medical science speaks authoritatively about our physical hearts, God speaks with even greater authority about a “heart” of another kind. He addresses the mental, emotional, spiritual, and moral “center” of our being. Because the heart is the central processing unit of life, it must be protected: “Guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23). Safeguarding our hearts will help us with our speech (v. 24), compel us to be discerning with our eyes (v. 25), and choose the best paths for our feet (v. 27). Regardless of age or stage of life, when our hearts are guarded, our lives are preserved, our relationships are protected, and God is honored.

The beautiful bride, gripping her proud father’s arm, was poised to make her way to the altar. But not before the entrance of her thirteen-month-old nephew. Instead of carrying the more common “ring”—he was the “Bible bearer.” In this way, the bride and groom, as committed believers in Jesus, wanted to testify to their love for Scripture. With minimal distraction, the toddler found his way to the front of the church. How illustrative it was that the toddler’s teeth marks were found on the leather cover of the Bible. What a picture of activity that’s fitting for believers in Christ or those who desire to know Him—to taste and take in Scripture.

Psalm 119 celebrates the comprehensive worth of the Bible. After declaring the blessedness of those who live by God’s law (v. 1), the author poetically raved about it, including his love for it. “See how I love your precepts” (v. 159); “I hate and detest falsehood but I love your law” (v. 163); “I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly” (v. 167).

What statements do we make about our love for God and Scripture through how we live? One way to test our love for Him is by asking, What are we partaking of? Have we been “chewing” on the sweet words of Scripture? And then accept this invitation, “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (34:8).

His back is hunched, and he walks with a cane, but his six decades of spiritual shepherding are evidence that he leans on God—the source of his strength. In 1993, the Reverend William Barber was diagnosed with a debilitating disease that causes the vertebrae of the spine to fuse together. In a not-so-subtle way he was told, “Barber, you probably gonna need to figure out another thing to do besides pastoring, because the church ain’t gonna want [someone disabled] to be their pastor.” But Barber overcame that hurtful comment. God has not only used him as a pastor, but he’s also been a powerful, respected voice for underserved and marginalized people.

Though the world may not fully know what to do with those with disabilities, God does. Those who value beauty and brawn and things that money can buy can miss the good that accompanies uninvited brokenness. The rhetorical question of James and the principle underneath it are worth considering: “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” (James 2:5). When health or strength or other things are reduced, one’s faith needn’t follow suit. By God’s strength, it can be the opposite. Our lack can be a catalyst to trust God. Our brokenness, as was the case with Jesus, can be used of Him to bring good to our world.