Caring

 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. - Philippians 4.10

The Philippians were lovely people. It is obvious that Paul was really close to the Christians there. He had known them for a long time. He had led several of them to the Lord.  Whenever they had the chance they took the opportunity to take care of Paul and that caused Paul to rejoice. Paul wrote to them that nobody had supported him like they had. He said that anything accomplished in his ministry would be laid up to their heavenly account.

But there was a time when they had lacked opportunity to give and Paul knew that it bothered them.

I think its interesting that Paul says of them that even when they lacked the opportunity to give, they still cared.

One of the great blessings of friends is that even when it seems like nobody else cares they do.

Normally true caring is accompanied by giving, but sometimes there is nothing we can actually do. Sometimes all we can do is to care and show our concern and compassion.

There have been times when all I have wanted to know was that someone cared. Almost without exception there will be a card or an email or a Facebook message or some other gentle word of caring.

Lord, help me to be the kind of person who is not so focused on me that I forget to care about others.