“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”– Matthew 25:40 (NIV)

We’re taught in Matthew 25 that we should minister to and fulfill the needs of the needy. We often think of ministry as something that happens outside the home—feeding the homeless, visiting the sick, or going on mission trips. We may not even consider the possibility that the “least of these” may be sleeping under our roof?

“For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat…”

Have you ever been so hungry your stomach ached, your head began to pound, and suddenly all you can think about is food. It doesn’t matter what kind of food it is—healthy or downright terrible—you will eat it.

There is a similar hunger that happens to us when we’re searching for spiritual things. When we are not fed spiritually, we may continue to seek—and eventually, our hunger can become so great that we’ll “eat” anything we can get our hands on.

Maybe you’ve seen this when a friend or family member wants to discuss spiritual things. They may seem very curious. They may be very eager—yet…

Their hunger is not satiated quickly enough and they find answers elsewhere. For this to happen within your own home would be heartbreaking.

There are other kinds of hunger in the home. Are your children starving for affirmation? Is your spouse hungry for your attention, favor, even forgiveness? Do your grown siblings long for appreciation or quality time? Are you all so tired of asking that you’ve given up?

“I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…”

Similar to hungry, our thirst for connection, purpose, or peace can go unnoticed, unanswered, and unheard. The children in your life may thirst for attention or safety, acting out and acting up—gaining the wrong attention all the while.

Consider what your family may be thirsting for today. If your family is particularly busy, you each may need more “water” than usual. You may need more family time, more time from screens, more quiet, more affection. Just like the land when all the plants are growing in Spring, we need more to drink when we’re busy.

Are you too busy to read Scripture together? Are you too busy to pray together? Have you notice you’re falling asleep next to your husband before you can get that devotion book open…again and again?

Consider this prayer: Father in Heaven, we sing songs about the water You give. We sing “I’ve got a river of life flowing out of me,” but it feels dried up. I don’t have enough for myself, let along to share with my family. I’m tired and drained. Please, Lord, fill me with Your living water to overflowing. Help me to listen well to my family, watch them intently, the way I imagine You may watch me—so that I can help them when they’re thirsting for You. Show me also when they’re thirsting for me, Lord. Help me to know how to help, when to help, and when to quietly turn them over to You alone. I believe You will. Thank You for loving my family. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

“I was a stranger and you invited me in…”

“We’re roommates,” the wife of 15+ years tells her friend.
“I’ve been no-contact with my sister for 10 years,” the brother tells his fiancee.
“My family lives here, but, no, they don’t come to church anymore,” the elder tells the new pastor.
“My kid believes in God, but we don’t talk about spiritual things anymore,” the parent tells the teacher.

As many of us know all too well, it’s easy to become strangers in your home. It happens in marriages. It happens when children stop talking to their parents and when parents stop asking questions. It happens when we “cut” someone out instead of working it out. It happens when we worry more about what’s happening on our phones than what’s happening in the room right in front of us.

It’s not just relationships growing cold. Technology is also to blame. Stress, busyness, and emotional fatigue also create emotional distance in our families.

Ideas to Consider: Encourage regular “rituals” to reconnect and reunite. This can be easy-peasy, no muss, no fuss: Friday night dinners, device free Sundays, game night, and screen sharing phones to look at favorite photos, memes, or videos. What could you add to this idea list?

“I needed clothes and you clothed me…”

Most likely your family members are not running around the house naked, but they may be just as vulnerable as if they were completely naked! When a child throws a tantrum and when they share a funny story, they’re being vulnerable. How do you receive them?

When the people closest to you, in your household and in your family, take off their clothes of security and comfort, do you receive them with love, dignity, and grace?

When your brother or sister comes to you wrapped in shame with a vulnerable apology, do you cover them in forgiveness? Do you clothe them in kindness?

For those uncomfortable with vulnerability: When your son cries, and you don’t think boys should cry, the best thing may be silence (and a hug). When you’re still upset, but you receive an apology, you don’t have to say “it’s okay,” but “thank you.” When all else fails these two rules will win: if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all; and treat others as you want to be treated.

“I was sick and you looked after me…”

Are there people in your home and family who suffer from an illness? Do mental health struggles affect your husband’s ability to be present emotionally? Does physical stress take a toll on your wife? Maybe your teen has anxiety. Maybe your child has a debilitating illness. All these things and more may plague a family, but how you handle them and look after each other will make a difference.

Are you attuned to symptoms of depression and anxiety? Can you see burnout and fatigue manifesting before it becomes a crash? This is the time to step in and uphold your hurting or sick family member. If you go visit church members who are ill or in the hospital, but you yell at your teen for their messy room, poor grades, and limited attention span, you may be missing the point.

A prayer for the caregiver: Father in Heaven, someone is reading this that may be at the end of their rope—caring for the sick in their family. Whether it’s physical, mental, or emotional sickness, God, You know what they face. You are the Healer, God, and that’s not just something we say. We believe it. Help us to stand with our ill family members, caring for, looking after, and loving them as You have instructed. Help us where we fall short. Help our unbelief, our bitterness, and our shortcomings. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

“I was in prison and you came to visit me…”

An estimated 6.5 million adults in American have an immediate family member currently incarcerated and nearly half of all adult Americans have had an immediate family member incarcerated in the past. While this statistic is breathtaking, it’s likely closer to 100% of American adults imprisoned by spiritual or physical prisons—shame, fear, addiction, self-doubt.

What happens when your family member is placed in prison? Oftentimes, they’re “out of sight, out of mind.” Maybe they are allowed limited visitors or they are too far away to visit. Maybe you’re too busy to answer the phone calls, or maybe you just don’t care to talk to someone in prison. The same is true of our family members that are imprisoned by shame. They may be ostracized by everyone else so we don’t want to be seen connecting with them. Who wants to put themselves at risk by going near an addict? It’s really the modern-day leper!

Again, if you’re willing to enter a prison or even a neighborhood to minister to others, but you’re ignoring your incarcerated family member, you may be missing the mark. We may be missing the mark.

Showing up when it’s uncomfortable: You don’t have to visit a prison to “show up.” Send letters, encouraging notes, or simply set up a time to talk on the phone and stick to it. You don’t have to put your home and children at risk by letting an addict into your home, but you can answer phone calls, send thoughtful texts, plan meetups and family gatherings, and make sure you send pictures and updates on your life and ask for them in return.

The Least of These / My Whole World

Your greatest ministry may not be across a sea, but across a carpeted hallway. Before creating mankind and building a relationship and covenant with mankind, God was in relationship with…God. This is the model we must follow for a family where every member thrives and feels loved.

Ask yourself: What is one “need” in my family I’ve been overlooking?

Do: Choose one way to meet that need this week—quietly, intentionally, and lovingly.

Get started with this free resource:

Hope for Today’s Families by Adventist Family Ministries