In 1 Peter 4:9-11 in The Message translation it says…

Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and He’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes! 

It is calling us to be quick in helping others and to do it cheerfully. And it is calling us to not only help those who are in our immediate circle, the ‘comfortable’ people in our lives but to actually reach out to those who are outside of our sphere, to the homeless, the needy, the poor, those who have been dealt some bad circumstances in their lives. We are called to help immediately, as soon as we see their need we should lend a helping hand and to do it cheerfully. To help them like you love doing it, your help is heartfelt and that you should enjoy loving on them.

We are called to be generous with all that we have. We are so blessed and we should have a generous spirit and give to others, and not just because people need something but to give to others even if they do not need it. It is all about loving others, somebody does not have to be desperate to give them something.

If it is words that we are giving to another then let them be Gods words. His words are full of life, they give hope, they encourage and they express love. And if it is a helping hand we lend then let it be God’s hearty help. That means to help with no strings attached, we do it cheerfully and we put all of our effort into the thing that we are doing.

I love this song by Brian and Jenn Johnson. Its lyrics are…

Let me be filled with kindness and compassion for the one. The one whom you loved and gave your son, for humanity increase my love. Oh how He loves us, from the homeless to the famous and the in between. You formed us and You made us carefully, cause in the end we are all your children. Help me to love with open arms like you do. A love that erases all the lines and sees the truth. That when they look in my eyes, they would see You. Even in just a smile, they would feel the Father’s love.

It is a cry to God to help us to love like He does. God loves with open arms, His love erases all the lines between us. He loves us all unconditionally, from the homeless to the famous and in between. It does not matter who you are or what you have done, He loves us wholeheartedly.

The song is prayer asking God to help us stop for the one. To be able to see humanity as He sees them and to help us love them like He does. And that when they see us, when they look into our eyes as we encounter them with our love, that they will see the Fathers love staring right back at them.