"Good" Christians give as a way to express the love of the Lord. It's not because it's fun or easy, and it's not because they don't have anything else better to do.
When I consider the Lord, I notice how He consistently gives to his children who don't even ask for the gifts he gives. He provides every basic need and every luxury. He provides people and pets in our lives who can comfort us when we need it. He provides every aspect of the perfectly balanced world we live in.
And all this we take from the Lord.
Usually without gratitude.
And this evening, the question hit me: "Do we give what we take?" Do we even begin to give to others as much as we ourselves take from our Lord?
Too often, even Christians, are too selfish with their love, time, and money to extend it to other believers.
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Galatians 6:2
Can the Ten Commandments be summed up any more concisely than this?
"So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith."
Galatians 6:10
We will not always have an opportunity to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ. Everyday life does not normally require outside help. But when a need arises in the body of Christ, it is a Christian's privilege to deny self and be the hands and feet of the Lord during that time of need.
"If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together."
1 Corinthians 12:26
And yet here is the harsh reality: Too often Christians do not show up during any hour of crisis. Bar buddies show up and sports teams comes together. Strangers will completely fund a GoFundMe account... But the church maintains her distance and ruins her witness in the process.
During a crisis, the church masquerades righteousness with unfulfilled promises that they'll pray while the person in distress is tempted to quit religion all together. A promise to pray is not a tangible act of love that the person in need can see, hear, and touch.
The American church today rarely goes much deeper than offering a word of compassion during a crisis. A word of compassion makes the self-centered Christian feel good without having to sacrifice any of their time, energy, or money.
"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him,
"Go and do likewise."
Luke 10:30-37
Count the tangible ways that the Samaritan helped the man in distress.
Now consider the self-centered lies the priest told himself that excused his behavior of passing his neighbor by without offering assistance, and let me remind you that his excuses did not matter to the Lord.
I ask myself the same question our Lord asked himself,
"When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
Luke 18:8
How is one supposed to have faith in a loving God when His love is never expressed in tangible acts of kindness? I don't know how it's possible.
