Acts 9:36-39 – Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.
I was reading in the book of Acts this morning and came across the passage which spoke about Tabitha, better known as Dorcas. I love reading about this wonderful lady! She was a woman who lived in Joppa who the Bible says …was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. I do not want to overthink this passage of Scripture, but it touched my heart as I read about her life. We know very little about her, but the few verses where she is mentioned talk about two characteristics in her life that God thought were important enough to mention.
She was full of good works.
Basically, she spent her life doing for others. She did not do these things for others so that she would be noticed for her good works. She did them because she was full of love for other people and wanted to be a help and a benefit to them.
She was full of compassion.
The concordance uses the word compassionateness. Basically, she was softhearted toward people. She was tender in her actions toward people. That does not mean she was disrespectful in her tenderheartedness, but that she was sincerely concerned for people and wanted to make their burdens lighter.
I think sometimes we can be so overwhelmed with all of the crazy things that people do in this world today that it is hard to look at others and be kind to them. It is even harder for us to spend our precious time, and even our money, on something that would be of benefit to someone else. We would much rather be doing for us and ours than doing something for someone else who probably will not appreciate it anyway. At the least, this is what the Devil whispers in our ears when the Holy Spirit tells us to be kind to someone else.
However, we know that Dorcas did not think twice about it because, as we see in verse 39, when Peter finally arrived in Joppa, the widows of the town gathered around him to show him the coats and garments that Dorcas had made for them when she was with them. They took the time to remember all of the good things she had done in her life.
No, it is not my goal in life to do things today so people will remember me tomorrow or in the future and praise me for the things I did for them. That is not how I want to be remembered; but I do want to be remembered as a person who was tenderhearted, kind, and fair. Most of all, I want to be remembered as a person who reflected Jesus Christ in my life.
Many people may never read the Bible or even see the inside of a church during their lifetimes, but if we as Christians are living as we should, they will see enough of Jesus’ love and compassion in us to say, “She lived what she believed.”
by April Hernandez
