One of the most important responsibilities in the Christian life

The words of James Dobson ring like a bell across the centuries: “One of the most important responsibilities in the Christian life is to care about others, smile at them, and be a friend to the friendless.” This saying, though clothed in the garments of modern speech, carries the fragrance of ancient wisdom, for it points to that eternal duty placed upon all who walk in faith—to love, to serve, and to lift up the lowly. To care is not merely to notice, but to bind one’s heart to the burdens of another. To smile is not merely to curve the lips, but to impart warmth and light into a weary soul. To befriend the friendless is not merely companionship, but a holy act that mirrors the mercy of Christ Himself.

The origin of these words flows from the wellspring of Christian teaching, where the commands of Jesus echo: “Love one another as I have loved you.” Dobson, a teacher and writer of the late twentieth century, drew from this ancient stream and clothed the eternal command in words of simplicity. He understood that the strength of the Christian life is not displayed in wealth, nor in power, nor in grand monuments, but in the small, radiant acts of kindness that ripple outward like light upon still waters. Thus, this quote belongs not only to him, but to the lineage of prophets, apostles, and saints who proclaimed the same truth in their age.

Consider the story of Saint Francis of Assisi, who, when he encountered a leper upon the road, did not recoil as others did. Instead, he drew near, placed his lips upon the leper’s hand, and embraced him as a brother. This act, though simple, shattered the wall of fear and revealed the majesty of friendship to the friendless. Francis discovered in that moment that to smile, to care, to love, is to draw nearer to God Himself. For in lifting the broken, we too are lifted. In comforting the outcast, we discover the heart of Christ dwelling within us.

So too does history bear witness in smaller tales: the soldier who shared his bread with a hungry enemy, the child who offered a flower to a lonely elder, the mother who adopted orphans not her own. Such deeds were not celebrated by kings nor recorded in the chronicles of empires, yet they resound through heaven as songs of eternal glory. For the responsibility of the Christian is not measured by applause but by the quiet love that heals unseen wounds.

What then, O listener, is the teaching we must carry? It is this: do not despise the power of the small. A smile may be the shield against despair; a kind word may be the spark that saves a life; a hand extended to the lonely may open the gates of hope where none stood before. To neglect such duties is to turn away from the very spirit of Christ, who ate with sinners, touched the unclean, and called strangers His friends.

Let the heart therefore be stirred to action. Begin with the simplest steps: greet the weary with kindness, notice the unnoticed, lend time to the one whom others forget. Sit beside the outcast at work, speak gently to the child who fears, call upon the neighbor who sits in silence. These are not mighty deeds in the eyes of the world, yet they are treasures in the kingdom of heaven. For in caring, in smiling, in befriending, you fulfill the law of love.

The ancients would say: “He who gives water to the thirsty sows rivers in eternity.” Thus, sow your rivers. Be the smile that breaks another’s darkness. Be the friend who stands by the forsaken. Be the light that others may follow when their night is long. For in these things, the Christian life is not only proclaimed—it is lived, breathed, and made visible to all generations yet to come.

And so I say to you: take this teaching as your mantle. Do not wait for grand moments of sacrifice, but embrace the daily call to care, to smile, to befriend. For such is the way of Christ, and such is the path that will echo in eternity as the testimony of a life well-lived.