Chili peppers

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress. — James 1:27

“My mother gave us chili peppers before we went to bed,” said Samuel, recalling his difficult childhood in sub-Saharan Africa. “We drank water to cool our mouths, and then we would feel full.” He added, “It did not work well.”

Government upheaval had forced Samuel’s father to flee for his life, leaving their mother as the family’s sole provider. Sam’s brother had sickle cell anemia, and they couldn’t afford medical care. Their mother took them to church, but it didn’t mean much to Sam. How could God allow our family to suffer like this? he wondered.

Then one day a man learned about their plight and brought them some medicine to help with treatment. “On Sunday we will go to this man’s church,” his mother announced. Right away Sam sensed something different about this church. They celebrated their relationship with Jesus by living His love.

That was three decades ago. Today in this part of the world, Sam has started more than 20 churches, a large school, and a home for orphans. He’s continuing the legacy of true religion taught by James, the brother of Jesus, who urged us not to “merely listen to the word” but to “do what it says” (James 1:22). “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress” (v. 27).

There’s no telling what a simple act of kindness done in Jesus’ name can do.— Tim Gustafson

READ: James 1:22–27

Sometimes the best witness is kindness.

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 10-12 and John 6:45-71