How much do you care about others and their needs? The Message phrases I Corinthians 8:10 this way: “Do what you can, not what you can’t. The heart regulates the hand.” 

At the end of a week or month what has passed through your hand? Has your hand lifted someone up out of despair? Into the Light? Has it given out food? Or held a child’s pudgy hand as you read a Bible story?

Read this Indicator Checklist to see how often you make caring gestures. Mark every way you’ve expressed care to another person in the past several months.

• sending a card
• providing transportation
• caring for a child
• preparing food
• contributing financial assistance
• providing career help
• writing a note of encouragement
• providing a meal
• giving a hug
• listening
• giving a gift
• shopping for food
• volunteering
• giving a party
• doing manual labor
• extending hospitality
• making a hospital visit
• providing nursing care
• tutoring
• being a mentor
• praying for another’s needs
• sharing Christ with someone
• cleaning
• making phone calls
• visiting a home
• sewing
• reading

Complete this sentence, “As a result of taking this survey, I realize that I usually help hurting people by _________________________________________________.”

What have you discovered by doing this exercise? Tell someone else about the experience. Do you care? Do you really care? How much do you care?