Thursday, August 05, 2010

Helping Others (1 John 3:16)

But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?
(1 John 3:17, NASB)

We live in a society of excess, of “more.” I have a perfectly nice house, but now I need a bigger one. I have a serviceable car, but I want a flashier, status-symbol one. I have a closet full of clothes, but I’m not satisfied until I get that trendy name on my jeans.

There’s nothing wrong with having nice things. If God has blessed you with a healthy income, and you can afford to buy without debt, then enjoy His blessings.

The problem is that we often get so caught up with our “stuff,” we forget that one of the reasons God has blessed us financially is so we can have the joy of helping others.

Just recently, I reconnected with a friend who had been hit hard by the economic downturn. The story is hers, but I can say she ended up homeless for a while. It was so eye-opening to me: She is an intelligent, mentally-healthy woman who had just hit bottom. She’s getting back on her feet, and Russ and I had an opportunity to help her with a few things for her new apartment.

We also were able to help my nephew and his wife with their missions trip to the Czech Republic this summer.

It wasn’t necessarily easy. Since I was laid off from my job in February, Russ and I have tightened our financial belt. We don’t go out to eat as much. We don’t buy “toys.” But we know God has still blessed us, and we can still open our hearts to those less fortunate than we.

And it is heart-warming. Literally. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of knowing you’re using God’s money and God’s things to help others.

Because, after all, it is all His anyway.

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