Sometimes, the Holy Spirit nudges our hearts and we hear God clearly and know what He’s calling us to do. Other times, we feel the Spirit but aren’t sure where we’re being led.
Have you felt this way?
Did you ever feel that flutter in your heart where you know you’re being called to step out in faith and help someone even though you don’t know exactly who you need to help or what you’re supposed to do?
In these times, I believe the Holy Spirit works gently and subtly within us to remind us of our purpose in Christ to love and care for other people.
You see, as believers, we know that God will call us to help someone else in their times of need, especially when their situation becomes desperate.
We can become complacent in the in-between times, however (at least I know I can), when what we’re called to do isn’t certain.
During those times, it’s important to keep listening to God and to reach out to others even when His instructions don’t seem clear to us.
Not long ago, I wrote a post for you called How to Serve God When Your Gifts aren’t Glamorous. I wrote that post to encourage you in your faith and remind you that you don’t have to be some big personality with performer-like talents in order to serve God.
Now, with this post today, I wanted to branch out further and get more specific about what you can do right now to help someone else.
These things won’t cost you anything but time either, and some of them won’t take much of that. However, they will make a huge difference for those you help.
See if you can pick 5 things from the list to do this month, and help someone who won’t be expecting it:
1. Push a neighbor’s trash to the curb on trash night
2. Offer to do yard work for an elderly person
3. Serve Meals on Wheels
4. Help with or coach a little league team
5. Pick up trash at a high school football stadium after a Friday night game
6. Wash a neighbor’s car
7. Walk a dog for someone who can’t get out
8. Volunteer at a soup kitchen
9. Offer free babysitting to a single parent
10. Collect pet food, supplies, and blankets and take to your local animal shelter
11. Volunteer in your local school district and read books to children
12. Visit a nursing home and read or visit with residents
13. Make a craft such as tissue paper flowers to take to someone who needs cheering up (or make the craft together)
14. Clean out a closet and donate clothes or other items to charity
15. Start your own Christian blog and share your faith with others
16. Start a book club
Related Post: 4 Little Things to Help You Make a Big Difference
17. Volunteer to work a concession stand at a local school or community sporting event
18. Write someone a letter or make and send a card to someone ‘just because’
19. Sponsor a canned food drive and give all your donations to a local food shelter
20. Teach a Sunday School class or volunteer to work in the nursery
21. Contact a local church and offer to help serve on any of their mission teams
22. Crochet plastic bags into sleeping mats for the homeless
23. Volunteer to be a Big Brother or Big Sister
24. Tutor children after school
25. Organize a group of people to go out after church and pick up trash
My kids helped me brainstorm this list. Some of the tasks we came up with were based on things we’d already done. Others were things we’d like to try.
What other ideas can you come up with of tangible ways we can help someone?
Try to think of ideas that won’t cost much money. While giving monetary offerings is important, we need ways we can actually jump in and be the hands and feet of Christ.
I’d love for you to share your thoughts in the comments below. That way, we can keep the list going and show others new ways they can help someone, too!
Want to remember this? Post 20+ Things to Help Someone to your favorite Pinterest board!
Acts in 30 Days | Bible Study and Reading Guide
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