Matt 25:43-46 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' 45 Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." NKJV

Rascal Flatts came out with a song in the last couple of years bemoaning the fact that they missed a lot of things about the idyllic place called Mayberry, NC. Through the song they mention that they miss the slower times, the neighbors who knew and cared for one another, and being able to take the time to go fishing. One of the reasons why the Andy Griffith Show is still so popular is because so many people would love to live in such a place.

One of the characteristics of the New Testament Church is that members care for one another. And one way this is done is through visiting. The term “visit” means “to inspect . . . to look upon, care for and exercise oversight . . . “ It means more than just going to visit with someone – it means helping that person in every way we can. From the above passage, Jesus emphasizes that this is one of the things that will separate the sheep from the goats on Judgment day – if we visit or not.

James goes on to say, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27). We show we practice pure religion by visiting (helping) those who need us!

It is getting harder and harder to visit people today. If you call, with caller ID, some may leave the house or not even answer the phone because they do not wish to be bothered. With our highly mobile society, finding someone at home is about impossible anymore. Larry Acuff recently said that the best place to visit some people may be Wal Mart or the mall.

No, the answer is in persistence. We cannot allow the demands of our fast paced society to keep us from doing what God has told us to do. We have a command from God to visit – and while we do not live in a world where everyone knows one another, we do have the responsibility to get out and serve others. That means getting out of our comfort zone, and doing what God has said.

Ira North, in the book Balance, said “When we go they come.” He is just repeating what our Lord said in Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:16 – GO into all the world.”

Will you get involved and help us in visitation? You can begin today, by staying for a few moments and getting a visit that you can make. Will you help? I hope so! For all of us, and for God!