50 Ways of Living the Risen Life by Helping Others

I mentioned a few weeks ago that when we call Jesus “Lord” it should change the way we live, the decisions we make, the politics we hold, and the way we use our time and resources. The Risen Life is not a series of prohibitions, but a call to live like redeemed people.

Are you at a loss for ways to help? If there can be 50 shades of gray and 50 ways to leave your lover, there must be at least 50 ways to help others in a far more redemptive way than those. I have compiled 50 suggestions and you are welcome to add your own ideas via comment here or on Facebook.

Why should we help others? Because when we do, we are serving Jesus.

Matthew 25: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'” (Matthew 25:40)

Oftentimes, we’ll hear people talk about donating time, talents, or treasures to help those in need. These general areas show how we can—in large and small ways—share our Risen Life with others. Here are 50 ways:

Volunteer your time to be a Christian mentor, or a Catholic or Jewish Big Brother or Sister.
Serve at a food pantry sponsored by a local church or Christian organization.
Organize or staff a bake sale, plant sale, or rummage sale to benefit Christian missions or poverty reduction.
Volunteer at a women’s shelter or help to prevent human trafficking.
Pray for those in the persecuted church, the imprisoned, the terminally ill, and the unemployed.
Provide meals to the homeless through PADS or other emergency relief group, serving up compassion at a local shelter.
Visit prisoners and teach Bible studies there.
Work on a Habitat for Humanity home.
Befriend your neighbors and invite them to come to church events.
Pray for Israel.
Provide babysitting to teen moms so they can attend Bible studies.
Drive the elderly to doctor’s appointments or bring them to church.
Go on a mission trip to provide medical care or engage in poverty reduction efforts among the poor.
Pray for your elected leaders.
Volunteer for Vacation Bible School and early childhood ministries.
Mow the lawn or shovel snow for someone who is sick
Design “fashions with a conscience,” raising awareness, and donating the proceeds of those items to help rescue children out of the sex trade.
Write and send greeting cards to the sick, the lonely, and the bereaved.
Knit hats for premature babies, make quilts for cancer patients, or volunteer at your local hospital or nursing home.
Engage in literacy programs or teach English as a second language.
Begin a blog or write letters to the editor upholding Christian values of compassion, love, and mercy.
Adopt-a-Highway in the name of your Christian group and engage in regular care for the roadside cleanup.
Use your business skills (e.g. legal, accounting, fundraising, program implementation, etc.) to benefit a parachurch or charitable ministry.
Run for public office and bring Christian virtues to policy decisions.
Sponsor and coach a youth basketball team in the inner city or in a poor neighborhood.
Write songs and perform music in a benefit concert or to raise awareness for a Christian cause.
Use your technology background to develop web sites, do analytics, and help to bring charitable organizations into full utilization of social media.
Organize or sponsor a Christian group to walk or run in a charity event for special needs children, natural disaster relief, or for victims of tragic events.
Give free haircuts to the poor once a month.
Get involved with Doctors without Borders or provide free dental care to the poor.
Teach business, technology, or entrepreneurial skills to those living in poverty.
Adopt a child or become a foster parent.
Become a Christian venture capitalist who provides start-up funds to train and then help former convicts start legitimate businesses that will hire other former convicts.
Train or coach others on how to use their skills and abilities for God’s glory, multiplying our efforts. Organizations like Scholar Leaders International train pastors to multiply Christian efforts overseas.
Participate in urban gardening programs to bring children into a caring community before they become involved in gangs.
Supervise a disabled child or handicapped adult to give a caregiver a break for an hour each week.
Offer career counseling or job placement to the chronically unemployed. Better yet, give them a job and train them with the skills they need to move forward.
Repair cars or provide no-interest vehicle purchase opportunities for single moms.
Read, listen, or see events around you for ways you can help others: holding doors, helping people across the street, offering your seat to a person with limited capabilities, or letting women with crying babies ahead of you in line. Never underestimate the witness of small acts of kindness.
Donate furniture, clothing, and household items to Christian organizations like Love, INC, and the Salvation Army.
Get involved with Samaritan’s Purse as a disaster relief volunteer, as a provider of ducks and chickens, etc, and participate in annual events such as Operation Christmas Child.
Provide a scholarship for a wounded serviceman, police officer, or firefighter to get education and new employment possibilities.
For every dollar you donate to an alma mater or arts or education foundation, donate a dollar to assist someone in poverty have access to clean drinking water. Make your donations make a real difference for the Kingdom.
Sponsor a Compassion International child or through another Christian organization.
Support missionary efforts through parachurch ministries like Hands and Hearts, International to provide medical and poverty reduction care to the poorest of the poor.
Donate money to help organizations such as Wellspring Living to rescue and restore girls who have been victims of sex trafficking.
Take every dollar you would have spent on lottery tickets and spend it to provide food for a Christian food pantry or give to an organization like Food for the Poor.
Donate Bibles through the Gideons to put in hotel drawers to offer hope to those in crisis.
Support Catholic Charities through financial donations.
Partner with Christians at your local church to provide funds for church-sponsored projects.