https://odb.org/2026/04/09/prompted-by-love
1 Thessalonians 1:2–7 (NIV): 2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
Emily Kenward walked down Lavender Street in Brighton, England. Having recently become a believer in Jesus, she now saw the street differently. She noticed how many homes had their curtains drawn in the daytime, and how few older people were about, despite the area’s high elderly population. It spurred an idea.
Emily found out where Brighton’s elderly lived and invited them to an afternoon tea. Those who came told a similar story. Now living alone, they often went months without seeing anyone. What they longed for, they said, was a visitor.
Emily was so moved by what she heard at that afternoon tea that she started a charity linking Brighton’s elderly with volunteer visitors. She remembers one woman hugging her tightly, sobbing, grateful for finally feeling seen and heard. The work grew, inspiring others to do the same. It makes me wonder what labors prompted by love the Holy Spirit might inspire you and me to do today. (Sheridan Voysey, Our Daily Bread 9th April 2026)
Acts 9 introduces us to a believer in Jesus who was prompted by love to serve others. “In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha [Dorcas] . . . ; she was always doing good and helping the poor” (v. 36). The Greek word at the root of the word translated “helping the poor” means to “have mercy” or “pity.” In Joppa (modern day Tel Aviv), there was a specific group of people who benefited from Tabitha’s “acts of charity” (v. 36 esv). We read how “all the widows stood around [Peter], crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas (Tabitha’s Greek name) had made while she was still with them” (v. 39). (Arthur Jackson, Insight, Our Daily Bread 9th April 2026)
The examples of Emily Kenward, and Tabitha (Dorcas in Greek) in the bible point to women who looked at ministry for God as something beyond the church. Yes, we serve God primarily in church but our calling may extend beyond its corridors and beyond our congregation. There is a social element in ministry and reaching out may be more effective if we see ourselves as being a part of the community.
Specifically, there are vulnerable people within our communities. Older mothers who are widowed and whose children had moved to the big city for work or whose children have migrated overseas. If their spouses were still alive, they would still have company. Alas, nowadays women outlive men. Even if their children return during weekends, they are still alone the remaining days. We are not even talking about the single elderly who never married. Some had the privilege to live with their other single siblings but they may also outlive them.
I’m sure there are organisations that cater to visiting the seniors at their homes or at old folks homes. Or we could set up such a group within our own church and lead to reach out to these older people in the community. This could be our calling for this season of our lives. In my own local church, we have a group of golden age retired folks who meet every now and then for fellowship. Perhaps they could spearhead this initiative by visiting their friends around their age.
Is there a ministry that God is calling us to in order to fulfil a need in our society? Pray and seek the Lord. He may well lead us to another adventure with Him!
Ronnie's Thoughts 