This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:16-18
“The true goal of being generous is not that the church will prosper, the budget will be reached or raised, or that the building will get built. The goal of generosity is not that I will, in the end, be blessed because I have pleased God. The ultimate goal of generosity is transformation of the individual. Does that help you see the connection between giving and being like God? The deeper our transformation the closer we move to being like God in character, in thought, and in action. Transformation is never skin deep or outward; transformation is from the inside out. It begins and grows from the heart, a heart that is becoming more like our Savior.
I recall the story of a young boy from a poor family walking home with a bag of groceries, a meager supply for the large household. It was cold and getting dark as he made his way through the busy streets, and then it happened––the bag tore, the load dropped, and the groceries scattered from one side of the walk to the other. Most busy pedestrians side-stepped the mess, except for one gentleman who had mercy on the boy. He bent down and helped him gather his supplies, clean up what was broken, and restock the grocery bag. As together they finished the task the little one, with tears staining his checks, looked into the face of the older man and asked, “Mister, are you Jesus?”
Dennis Fast in “The Goal of Generosity: Living a Transformed Life” excerpt from Day Seven of Seven Day Generosity Challenge by John Wiebe and the MB Foundation. Click to download the PDF and go through it.
When we love with “actions and truth” as John writes in today’s Scripture people see the love of God in our actions. We look “like God.” They experience God through our interaction with them. Few short stories illustrate this better than the poor young boy who drops his bag of groceries.
Notice the counter-cultural nature of the aid the man. When everyone else side-stepped the mess, he stopped. While the task was too big for the lad, he helped. Despite the mess, he cleaned up what was broken. This is generosity. The boy could not help but exclaim, “Mister, are you Jesus?”
God wants to transform us from the inside out as people who understand our role on earth and play it, not for blessings we get but to serve as conduits of blessing. He desires that we have mercy, extend kindness, and show love. God, make us into such people so others see You in us. Amen.
Join me and others from GTP for Monthly Global Prayer Hour tomorrow morning at 5am Denver Time. Then I fly to Dallas through Friday to speak and attend the Missio Nexus 2021 Mission Leaders Conference. Praying for a good time of service, networking, and learning.