I Am My Brother's Keeper

"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works" Hebrews 10:24

Out of the three of us girls Sonya turned out to be the farm girl. Her and Scott own a large (to me) garden, every summer they work and toil and gather all the fresh vegetables one could ever want. They have tried their hand in different kinds of farm animals and now hold the title of beekeepers to a large number of honeybees. I love to hear the antics of their farm life; what goes on around their home on the daily, but my most favorite is their brood of hens.

After adopting a group of hens years ago they soon learned the landscape of their home became a target for all wildlife in the surrounding area. From coyotes to hawks to a night stalker bobcat they spotted on a security camera one evening. As their high stepping chicks strutted their stuff being never mindful of the danger that crept around them, Sonya and Scott realized they needed to get the girls some protection (body guards), so they bought them a rooster or two. These boys are on high alert. They cluck warnings and run out to check the fences, always staying close to the hens as they wistfully venture around the barnyard without a care in the world.

God has set up similar means of protection for us as believers. One way is for us to watch out for one another. All too often, I believe, we would rather look the other way when the Holy Spirit nudges us to reach out to a fellow Christian that is struggling or placing their faith in something else or someone else other than God. We shrug it off when we notice someone missing in worship service Sunday after Sunday instead of giving them a call to check on them. We might not want to be bothered by others burdens because our arms are already full with our own.

Hebrews 10 instructs us to care for and give attention to each other's lives. We shouldn't think we can walk around as free range Christians following our own path, not caring for others that God places in our lives. We need each other.

Followers of Christ should care about one another. Together we can encourage, lift up, pray for and love as God does. We should excite each other in worship and in praise as the day draws closer and closer. The Bible says we are to grow in zeal for the Lord.

"Then he said, "Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord!" (2 Kings 10:16)

As I grow older and getting more set in my ways I catch myself minding my business, keeping my head down and worrying with my own. Not being particularly concerned with others outside my circle (especially during these last five months). But this was a reminder to me to look up, be on alert. I am one of God's protection mechanisms for believers around me. I should care about what happens to others and I need them to care about what happens to me.

In a world filled with hens...let's be a rooster.

I love you & He loves you more!

Lord, Forgive me for letting my guard down and not keeping an eye out for my fellow Christians. Help me to reach out of my comfort zone and invest in others lives, being watchful of the dangers that lurk around them. May I find the help in You to succeed in this area of my faith. I know where my help comes from. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.