How Can We Help Those Who Are in Need?

As part of our relationship with Christ, a natural outpouring in our lives should be helping others. Unfortunately, it has become common for Christians to be standoffish when it comes to helping others, yet it is vital that we help those God has placed in our lives.

Helping Others

Paul tells us in the Book of Philippians, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (2:3-4).

Similarly, Hebrews 13:16 says, “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Both of these passages of Scripture urge us to help others, share with others, and look at others' interests rather than our own.

Jesus wants us to serve others and help them in any way we can, just as He served and helped others during His earthly ministry (Matthew 21:14). He ultimately served all mankind by dying for the sins of the world (John 3:16-17).

The Lord showed us what it truly means to help and serve those in need. He knew for a fact that humanity was deep in sin and needed to be redeemed from our evil ways. It is only by Jesus that we can be redeemed from our sins and given a new life in His Name.

The Lord knew that in our capacity, there is nothing that we could do to earn salvation as the Bible tells us, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away” (Isaiah 64:6).

In other words, all of our “good deeds” or “good acts” could never earn us redemption and salvation. Only by Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection could we be given salvation.

Jesus ultimately helped all of mankind by providing the opportunity to place faith in Him by believing that He died for our sins, was buried, and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

While we cannot do something as great as Jesus has done for us, and others, we can still help them in many ways by following His example. The number one way we can help others in need is by sharing the gospel with them. 

A person cannot truly experience true peace and joy without knowing Jesus as their Savior and Lord. We all need Christ and His amazing grace.

Without Christ, we are headed straight down the path of darkness and separation from Him. Therefore, the best way we can help others is by sharing the gospel with them.

Physical Needs

In addition to sharing the gospel with others, we can help them in other tangible ways, such as by providing food, shelter, and clothing for others.

The Lord’s half-brother James, tells us, “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?” (James 2:15-16).

Just as James tells us, we have to provide for others' physical needs in addition to their spiritual needs. We cannot truly care about a person if we only share the gospel but leave them without proper food, clothing, and shelter.

During Jesus' ministry, He provided the crowds with food as He taught them, such as the feeding of the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21).

While we cannot physically feed five thousand people as Jesus did, we can provide for their needs in more tangible ways, such as providing a meal for a family in need, providing winter coats for a neighbor, or handing out bottles of water at a local shelter. There are many different ways to help provide for the physical needs of others.

Oftentimes, we can turn a deaf ear to the needs of those around us when we are comfortable in our own lives. The truth is that God never promises us comfort. Throughout the Bible, we are never told that God will give us comfort, nor are we told that God will give us happiness.

We have joy and peace because we know Christ, but we are never promised comfort or happiness. With our own personal resources, we need to extend these daily necessities to others. Even if we do not have a lot of money, abundant food, or extra space in our homes, we can still extend what we do have.

Cooking a meal for a family in need, donating to a ministry, or letting someone stay with us while they get back on their feet are all great ways to extend Jesus’ love to others.

There are a great number of people around us in our own cities, towns, and neighborhoods who are in need. We can be that one person who makes a difference to help them in their time of need.

Spiritual Needs

In addition to sharing the gospel with others, there is still much we can do to help the spiritual health of those around us. Salvation is not the final point but rather the starting point of our relationship with Christ.

Those who have placed faith in Christ need to undergo discipleship to help them grow in their relationship with Christ and cultivate their knowledge of the Bible.

As Christians, we can help those in need spiritually by educating them on the spiritual truths of the Bible, such as moral issues, their identity in Christ, and eschatology.

The entire Bible is vital to us, and it is truly our guidebook for life. It is a misnomer to believe that since we have accepted Christ as our Savior that we automatically know everything about God, the Bible, and theology.

Similar to any book, we have to read the Bible, study it, and meditate on it in order to grow in our understanding and knowledge of the Lord.

Therefore, for new believers, we can help them by having them undergo discipleship and help them in any way we can. Whether the person is a new believer or has been a believer for quite some time, discipleship is a vital part of helping others grow in their relationship with Christ.

Without a solid foundation of the Bible and who God is, it can lead to many false beliefs, which could cause a new believer much confusion in their walk with God.

This is why we must help others with their spiritual health to help cultivate a healthy relationship with God, others, and themselves.

From my own personal experience, I did not grow up with a knowledge of the scriptures, which meant I was more influenced by what the world said rather than God.

In the same way, if a new believer is not educated and trained in the Bible, how are they going to take up their armor of God and extinguish the lies of the enemy? (Ephesians 6:10-18). We can help those in need by sharing not only the gospel but also the deep truths of the Bible.

Why Does This Matter?

As Christians, it is vital that we help those in need. Everyone around us is in need, as we all need help sometimes.

Even if you do not have excessive resources, you can still help those in need by sharing the gospel, sharing the deep truths of the Bible, physically helping others, and providing for other people’s needs.

We will truly shine bright for Christ when we help others and extend the love of Christ in our actions and words.

For further reading:

Does God Help Those Who Help Themselves?

5 Ideas to Help Others During Difficult Times

What Does it Mean to Be Doers of the Word?

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/AnnaStills

Vivian Bricker loves Jesus, studying the Word of God, and helping others in their walk with Christ. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master's degree in Christian Ministry with a deep academic emphasis in theology. Her favorite things to do are spending time with her family and friends, reading, and spending time outside. When she is not writing, she is embarking on other adventures.

This article originally appeared on Christianity.com. For more faith-building resources, visit Christianity.com.