In May of last year, I got remarried to my current wife (Faith), having been divorced from my first wife - my son’s mom, several years ago. Following the divorce, I became a single parent to my disabled son Chris. While I doubted that new love could find me, I met...
Caring With Intentionality
Job 2:11–13 and the “ministry” Job’s friends got right… before they started talking.
In today’s Theology of Disability episode, Dr. Chris Hulshof takes us to Job 2:11–13 to answer a question that sits at the center of disability ministry: What does it look like to care with intentionality? Job’s friends are a fascinating contrast. At first, they do almost everything right. They show up. They stay. They sit in the dirt. And then, later in the book, they say almost everything wrong. This episode focuses on what they did in those first moments of suffering—and how their actions give us a surprisingly clear framework for how to care well when someone is in pain.
Episode Big Idea
Caring with intentionality is more than a kind text, a quick check-in, or a convenient gesture. It is presence with purpose—showing up, staying close, and refusing to turn away.Scripture Focus
Job 2:11–13 In this short passage, Job’s friends demonstrate a pattern of care that is deeply instructive—especially for churches walking alongside families impacted by disability and suffering.Seven Practices of Intentional Care
- Be close enough to hear — and then actually act on what you hear.
- Expect sacrifice — caring well will cost you something.
- If you can’t go alone, go together — community can push past fear and awkwardness.
- When it doesn’t look like you expected, keep going anyway — don’t turn away.
- Sympathy and comfort begin by coming alongside — not above, not from a distance.
- Be willing to go the long haul — not on your time, but on their need.
- Sometimes the best thing you can say is nothing — resist the urge to fill the quiet with words.
A Line You’ll Remember
“Resist the urge to fill the quiet with words. Instead, listen… then listen some more.”Dr. Hulshof also offers a powerful personal reflection from years spent in and out of the hospital with his son—remembering not the people who said a lot, but the ones who simply sat in the room and stayed present in the chaos.
Why This Matters for Disability Ministry
Disability ministry is often a long-haul ministry. Families don’t just need a one-time gesture—they need a church that is willing to stay. This episode is a reminder that gospel-shaped care isn’t always loud. Sometimes it looks like quiet faithfulness.Resources Mentioned
- Job 2:11–13
- Theology of Disability (Key Ministry series)
- “Power of presence” in suffering and caregiving
Listen + Subscribe
If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend, a ministry leader, or someone walking through suffering right now. And subscribe to the Key Ministry Podcast so you don’t miss future episodes in our Theology of Disability series.Key Ministry exists to equip churches to welcome and disciple individuals and families impacted by disability and mental health—for the purpose of making disciples of Jesus Christ.
