From the Heart – Expressing the Gospel Through Service
“The Spirit… has sent me to heal the brokenhearted and to announce that captives shall be released and the blind shall see, that the downtrodden shall be freed from their oppressors, and that God is ready to give blessings to all who come to Him.” –Luke 4:18-19 (TLB)
When I admire the smile of a young person with a disability – like my friend, here – I always think, does he know Jesus as his Savior? Does he see his disability through Christ’s eyes? How can our team at Joni and Friends draw him closer to Jesus?
The day-to-day hardships of a disabling condition often force special needs families to ask, “why would a good God allow this to happen to me and my family?” At Joni and Friends, we back up the glorious message of salvation with hands-on deeds of love and mercy. If we fail to serve, our “message” will appear thin-coated, bringing disappointment to those battered by a tough disability.
Jesus came to proclaim Good News to the poor and liberty to the oppressed. That’s our message, and we don’t dare shrink from the hardest battlefields. We meet as many practical needs as possible through loving hands and acts of service, so special needs families will truly experience the Gospel of God’s redeeming love.
You help people with disabilities experience the Gospel every time you lift your hands in prayer, service, or in giving. Thank you for partnering with the Holy Spirit in helping to free people from the confines of sin, as well as from the confines of suffering – it happens at every Family Retreat, and on every Wheels for the World outreach. All because you beautify the Gospel of Christ with your service!
