The Dorcas Dare

Dorcas is one of the many great women we read about in the Bible. She is mentioned only once in the book of Acts. She lived in the city of Joppa. She was abounding in kindness and charity, which she continually did. We read about her life in Acts 9:36-42. As you know, our theme for 2018 is “Becoming More Like Christ.” While we have already discussed kindness, it will be good for us to remember the example of Dorcas. Her name means grace and beauty. Dorcas helps us to see it is possible for us to be kind like Christ. She assisted the widows by making garments and tunics. From Acts 6, we know the need was great for the Christian widows in the first century. She was loved by all so much that when she died, the people wanted her back. A miracle would occur, Acts 9:37-41. This wasn’t for the sake of Dorcas. This wasn’t so she could have a second chance of getting right with the Lord. This miracle would cause others to turn to Christ as the text indicated, Acts 9:42. At the same time, having Dorcas back would also allow her to continue to assist those who were in need. This article is called, “The Dorcas Dare.” Do you remember when you were little and one of your friends would dare you to do something? They were seeing if you had the boldness to try. We should dare to be like Dorcas. To be kind toward others is often challenging for a variety of reasons. A question for us to think about is this: When we die, what memories will people have of us?

If Dorcas had a funeral like Americans do, how many people would be able to stand up and talk about her kindness? There would be a lot! That funeral would take hours. What about ours? Obviously, what people will say at our funeral is not our ultimate goal. More important is this: What is God saying about us right now? Let’s dare to be like Dorcas. What will that require?

TIME If we’re going to strive to be like Dorcas, it will take a lot of time on our part. I can only imagine how much time Dorcas spent making those garments and tunics. I don’t know if Dorcas had a family. Maybe she was a widow. Whatever the case, I know she used a lot of her time to assist others. We will have to do the same. Yet, having the time to be kind and do good deeds can be challenging. It seems like we have become busier than ever before. Let us never become too busy to do good deeds.

PROACTIVE : To be like Dorcas, we will have to be proactive. Dorcas took the initiative and used her talents to be kind toward her brethren. She didn’t wait for someone to tell her to make garments and tunics. She didn’t say, “Someone should help those women.” She did it herself. That’s the mindset we must have as we strive to be kind. When we see a need, if we can help, we should.

SELFLESSNESS: Dorcas put the needs of others before hers. She didn’t expect anything in return. She did good, Luke 6:35. This is the mindset we must have. Do good. Expect nothing in return. It’s not about us, but rather God. God has been good to us. Let us be kind and good to others.