Whose Responsibility Is It To Reach Out?

Is the forging of community the responsibility of the person who needs the care or the person who does the caring? In Chapter 5 of his letter James is very clear on this. His answer is simply, “Both.”

Here are two passages about the responsibility falling on the one who needs the care:

Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord… If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. - James 5:15

Therefore confess your sins to each other… - James 5:16

Here are the two passages immediately following about the responsibility falling on the one who sees the other person’s need for care;

Pray for each other… James 5:16

If one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back… - James 5:19

It’s our responsibility to ask for help. It’s our responsibility to notice when others need help. So basically, it doesn’t matter if you’re in trouble or notice someone else in trouble. It’s really whoever notices the trouble first who is tasked with naming it and moving towards the other.

Take a few moments today and assess where you need help… and ask God for the courage to to bring that to someone else so they can care for you. And take a few minutes and assess who around you needs help… and ask God for the courage to supply what is needed.