It amazes me that so many of us have so much and we share so little. Our Churches are filled with unemployed people sitting next to businessmen who could hire them but do not. Sometimes the business men just do not know and sometimes the unemployed brother or sister-in-Christ has too much pride to mention their situation. Then there are those times when a blessed Christian has their hand on a door that could lead to good things and for reasons known only to themselves they will not open it for the one who struggles. Competition should not exist between Christians. We are afraid that our brother will one-up us. We will not encourage or uplift because we think others might infringe on our territory. Sometimes we only encourage those who do not threaten us. The Church is filled with this and it baffles me. When I am faced with this in the CCM world it does not surprise me. It saddens me but the CCM world is not the Church, it is ultimately a part of the world (because of many things I am learning that would take up another blog) so I should not and do not expect anything else. I shouldn't shed a tear over it. This should never excuse a silently hostile act of pride from a Christian but when it happens to me I should trust God as in anything else because He is my helper. I should also remember that I am capable of the same evil. How can we ask God to bless us when we could help others and do not for whatever reason.
Luke 6:35-38: “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
When it comes to the Church many tears should be shed. In our Church this is the body of our Lord in the world. We are actually IN it. I encourage each person who reads this or even stumbles upon this blog to help someone you know who is out of a job. Do not just stop at mentioning it in passing, but actually WORK to help you brother or sister. Even if that means that you decrease and they increase. Even if that means that you will not profit from it in some way. There should be no angle for you. There should be no friendship Karma. Give and help without condition. Even if that means that you don't get the part in the play and they do. That means that they get the promotion and you don't.
Once again, this is VERY hard and I am learning it day by day. The best way to put a stopper on jealousy in our hearts is to lift up our brother and encourage them. God WILL honor this in you.
It is my prayer that if I can help someone, I will. I pray that selfish motives, jealousy or apathy will never hinder me from a helping or encouraging hand.
This is one of the greatest ways that we actually share the Peace of Christ with others and show the world that we are one in the Spirit. If we could grasp this concept then maybe, just maybe, they will know that we are Christians by our love.
6 comments:
HERE HERE! I have found that the Christians have dropped the ball on this one. Those that give on this level are usually those who are not Christians but have a giving heart. I was running through those few that have been there for me and out of many a couple of them are Christian. Jewish for the most part, chinese and an african seven day adventist. All of these people have touched my life in a selfless and giving way with an unconditional helping heart. We have missed the point somewhere along the way, myself included.
Yes we have. It has been the mantra of the Church to see people "born again" while expecting them to seek out a Christ that would ignore their most basic needs.
I do not understand this. As soon as I find out that someone is out of work, I hope that I will instantly try to figure out how I can help.
This topic is one that many Christians cannot come to terms with. What they do not understand is that turning a blind eye to a person in need is worse than ANY sexual sin of the flesh. This is the greater sin of pride and apathy. It is the single greatest reason that the Church's light has not shown as brightly as it should down through the ages.
Maybe BEING (the actual being part) is a little more about feeding the poor and helping others than being born again. I mean can we really make the claim that we have been born again if we ignore those in need? I am about to make a harsh statement. I say, that any one who claims to be born again and refuses to help their brother i need WITHOUT CONDITION is a liar. If you think I am harsh listen to Jesus.
Matthew 25:31-46
31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Jesus said "If you love me, keep my comandments" the greatest commandment after "Love the Lord your God with all your mind, heart, soul, and strength" is to "Love your neighbor as yourself."
If you do not love your neighbor, then how can you say that you love Christ?
i explain it by self rightousness. I have a friend, derek, who is a devout athiest; he and i "chat" about Christianity every once in a while. He has been scared and burned by Christian zeliots and it saddens me. Christians tend to feel that once they have the lable of "Christian" that they are better than all the rest of humanity. That is not what God intended at all...being a Christian is supposed to be humbling. That is the example that Jesus set for use to be, yet the vast majority of Christians don't seem to understand that point, and that is because of our humanity. I guess this all goes back to what you chatted about in your last entry, Seth. Laying ourselves down unconditionally.
Seth - This is the very stuff that the Lord has been teaching and convicting me about lately, and I'm hearing the same things from people I've been in contact with (both on-line and in real life).
There is a very strong tendency in the American Christian church (not to pick on us only, I'm sure it's all over the place) to enjoy talking about "spiritual things", and to argue doctrine, or to want to "win the arguments" we have with both believers and unbelievers.
It's an easy trap to fall into. But where our words and deeds actually heal wounds, impact lives, transform minds, and change hearts -- that's where I want to live. It's the life that Jesus plainly said we were to live, and plainly demonstrated by His own life.
When we get to that place in our lives, we realize it's not us that can do the changing in other people anyway, it's always the power of the Lord. Always.
So our part is just being a empty vessel, allowing the Lord to use us however and whenever He sees fit, and to be willing to give ourselves away -- both materially, when we see a need, and physically, by being available to help and to offer comfort and healing.
You're right, Seth. The truth sounds harsh sometimes, and many people will find it hard to accept. Now that we have acknowledged these things, I expect us to live by them and be held to a higher standard.
And by the Grace of God, we will.
Seth, thanks for this post. These are hard words to hear, but truth is often not pleasant. Hard because I examine and realize that I am motivated so much by my own selfish desires.
C-Hammer, thank you for the encouragement. For reminding me that it's only through the power of the Lord that I can live selflessly. And that we must rely on the grace of God to do so.
Great ideas Kat. It is those little things that matter the most. The things that do not just fall into our path of convienience. BEING a Christian is hardly convienient. After all we are Servants along with being Sons and Daughters of God.
I often remember that in Heaven the "greatest" will be the ones who get to serve the most.
C-Hammer, this is something God has been teaching me as well. I have driven by too many Homeless people and thought that I am too important long enough. Through the past year reading some journals of Mother Teresa has changed this view in me and helped to remind me of the true Charachter of Jesus and where to find him so I can feed Him and Clothe him.
I LOVE the Shuan Groves tune "Jesus" Describes this beautifully.
When you start to see the hurting, hungry, hard working waitress, your wife, your kids, the hurting, imprisoned, the sick, as Jesus and you finally see the world through the compassionate eyes of the Savior then you change, and change for good.
Be careful if you pray that you would see that world as Jesus sees it. It will overwhelm you.
Thanks for your comments
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