“Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did. And it happened at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an upper room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him, “Do not delay in coming to us.” So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her his hand and raised her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. It became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.”
Acts 9:36-42
Tabitha Dorcas is another Biblical woman that very little is said about. Yet what we do read about her can be impactful as we strive to be women for Christ today.
The first thing to note about Tabitha Dorcas is that she is a disciple. A disciple is “a person who is a pupil and an adherent of the doctrines of another.” A disciple is more than just a listener, more than a student learning the info to pass a test…a disciple is one who has so greatly absorbed the teachings and doctrines that they live those teachings daily, letting those teachings influence every part of life. So in just one word, we learn quite a bit about Tabitha Dorcas. At any point she could have chosen the opposite: chosen not to listen, chosen not believe or embrace the teachings, chosen not to serve. However when she learned the teachings of Jesus, she chose to embrace and do those teachings.
So how did Tabitha show herself to be a disciple of Christ? What fruit do we see in her? The answer is in the praise given her. “This woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did.” Other translations use the words “filled with”, “full of”, and “excelling in” “good works and charitable deeds”. This wasn’t a good deed every now and then. Her heart, her mind, her time, her life was FULL OF THEM! We see in the passage that she made tunics and garments for the widows, but I (personally) doubt this was her only type of deeds.
But for now, let’s focus in on this example (since it is the one we have) and see what we can learn. Tabitha Dorcas served locally…those right there around her. (Widows who couldn’t afford clothing, wouldn’t have the resources to travel to a funeral either, thus we can safely assume they are local.) In today’s culture, we often have the social pressure that if we aren’t reaching out world-wide, (or in the facebook or instagram world, have hundreds of followers) or participate in some organized group service event, we aren’t truly serving. Sometimes we send clothes or gifts or money to those “way over there”, then pat ourselves on the back thinking that we have done the same as Tabitha Dorcas. While some of that “sending” may be a very good thing, let’s not confuse it with her example.
Tabitha Dorcus knew and served the needs around her. But To know the needs around her, she had to know the people first. These widows knew her, you see the relationship in the weeping. While some might excuse this as just cultural mourning, I think this is indicative of the relationship that she had with these widows. This wasn’t a selfish “oh no who will make clothes for us now” weeping on the part of the widows either, but instead it is a deep loss and honor: “Look at what this woman did. Look at how she lived… we will miss her greatly.” The fact that the local Christians sent men to get Peter is also an indication of the deep loss of her. Tabitha Dorcus’ first kindness toward these people was to offer them friendship. Some Christians seeking to be like Tabitha Dorcas have organized massive clothing drives, or created large church clothing rooms, or even hosted sewing circles in effort to “meet the needs of the community”. But again, while arguably good, this is not the example that we see. Tabitha Dorcas didn’t wait for someone to organize some serving effort. Nor did she complicate things by being the organizer of said event. Instead, Tabitha Dorcas’ example is very simple and very personal. She sought to know the people around her. Then She used HER resources, she utilized HER skills, and she gave HER heart to HER work.
It was simple… she knew them, she loved them, she served them.
The example of this Biblical woman can feel lofty, unattainable and even all-consuming. We could easily fall into the trap of trying to “live up.” But I don’t think that is the point either. Let’s remember that in her day and time a garment took time to make, it was a slow process. Though we do not know how old she was and nothing about her family is mentioned, it seems safe to speculate that as a follower of Christ, she would not have neglected her responsibilities toward family in order to be all-consumed in serving widows. So do not let her example guilt you, but instead let it encourage you and challenge you.
…Because this is a very do-able example for us. We do not have to wait on anyone else to get started and it doesn’t have to be complicated. Yes it takes time to develop relationships, it takes mental space to see the needs, it takes energy, effort and sometimes creativity to follow through, but it’s do-able. Furthermore, 2 Corinthians chapter 9 tells us that God will supply whatever we need in order to generously meet the needs of others. So again: do not let her example guilt you, but instead let it encourage you and challenge you.
Ultimately comes the question: how can we today in today’s culture be like Tabitha Dorcas? One thing to consider is that the needs of others around you will be different than the needs of others around me. And the resources and skills you have will be different than the ones I have. But we can each follow her example… know the person, see the need, choose to serve.
To help us get started we can ask ourselves these questions:
- Do I truly have a heart for serving?
- Who is around me? Who can I get to know better?
- What needs do I see around me?
- What am I willing to sacrifice? Time, for example? Habitual serving takes time. What about comfort? Am I willing to sacrifice comfort?( I have often struggled to relate to or be comfortable around older generations, but I’m growing in this area. And so also, you can grow in the areas that make you uncomfortable.) How about skill? Am I willing to share my talents or skills or resources without expecting anything in return?
- What do I have hidden away in my drawers or cabinets that I can use to strengthen, encourage or meet the needs of someone else? Do I have food in my pantry? Then I can make a meal for someone. Do I have an extra note card or 2? Then I can write someone a note of encouragement. Do I have a car? How can I use that to serve others? Do have craft supplies, cleaning supplies, or any other number of things? What do I have and how can I use it?
Over all the point is simple:
Be like Tabitha Dorcas… know them, love them, serve them!
And may you be blessed and have joy in doing so!
