Why It Really Is More Blessed to Be Giving

Recently, I was reflecting on a now-lost tradition of the Christmas season – the wondrous arrival of the Sears Christmas catalog. Kids today don’t know what they’re missing. I’m sure there were other items in the catalog, but I recall it virtually bursting with toys of all kinds, some even beyond imagining.

 

Being a boy, I quickly paged through the dolls, Easy-Bake ovens and frilly stuff. It didn’t take long to find what I was looking for: train sets, play pistols and rifles, miniature forts and cowboy towns, model cars, board games and building kits. The images conjured up more images – those of what might lie wrapped underneath the tree on Christmas morning.

 

As a spoiled youngster, I figured I knew what Christmas was all about: Receiving. That seems true even today for many folks, except for the disappearance of Sears and its “wish book” catalogs. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be bombarded with advertisements about all the goodies we can purchase in stores and online. We’ll hear sanctimonious reminders that it’s all about giving. But in reality, the commercials will underscore that this season has become the pinnacle for materialism.

 

Granted, we did recently observe “Giving Tuesday” after Black Friday and the more-recently created Cyber Monday. Snail mail, TV promotions and email were jammed with pleas to give to charitable causes of all kinds, often with promises that whatever we gave would be doubled or even tripled by matching grants. So, the giving side of Christmas wasn’t forgotten.

 

But I can’t help feeling the giving focus of this time of year isn’t nearly as sharp as the receiving focus. And that’s a shame. Because after all, we’re told, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” 

 

The first Christmas was unquestionably about giving – giving us a Savior who would not only teach and serve as a living example, but also become the atoning sacrifice for our sins so we might be redeemed and gain an eternal relationship with God. That’s why no one was more qualified than Jesus to say, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

 

I like receiving Christmas gifts as much as the next person, but when we concentrate on the getting part and neglect the giving part, everyone suffers loss.

 

Jesus spoke about this when He explained about separating the sheep and the goats, those who were His genuine followers and those who were not. One of the indicators was selflessness, a willingness to give even when it did not seem personally beneficial. “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’” (Matthew 25:40).

 

It’s hard to imagine how giving to someone asking for help can be, in effect, giving to the Lord. But that’s what He said. These sentiments are repeated many other places in the Scriptures, including Proverbs 19:17, which declares, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward them for what they have done.” If the Lord asked us for something, would we say no?

 

We live in a time when many people seem to expect handouts, whether it’s forgiveness of college loan debts they have accrued, subsidies to offset economic effects of a pandemic, or the growing number of homeless people populating our streets. Admittedly, I’ve grown jaded over the years after being stung personally by seemingly legitimate hardship stories that I later learned were contrived. It would be easier to be generous if we knew for certain the needs were genuine.

 

Unfortunately (for those of us who like to make excuses and justify them), the Bible doesn’t teach, “Give only when you can confirm needs are valid.” To the contrary, we’re given only one qualification for giving. In 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 we’re exhorted: 

     “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

 

When we give, we’re not to do so grudgingly or feeling as if we’re compelled to do so. We’re also not to give in such a way that people will notice our acts of generosity. Jesus said, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:1).

God desires that we should give, and when we do so, that’s it’s done cheerfully. Sometimes I need to stop and remind myself, but when we consider how much and how lavishly God has given to us, in so many ways, how can we not give with cheerful hearts? 

Moneychangers – and Making Room

This marks a first for me and for my “Just Thinking” blog: Since I started it in 2008, the content has been solely a product of what I happened to be, appropriately enough, just thinking. But recently I came across a brief devotional message by my longtime friend, Mike Connor, that impressed me so much I wanted to share it with all those – many or few – who kindly read my writings. It was part of a collection of reflections his church, St. John’s Lutheran in Salisbury, N.C. and a sister church in Bethlehem, Israel, Christmas Lutheran, compiled for the Advent season. Here is Mike’s meditation, and I’ll follow it with a few comments of my own:

“Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling…. Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. They came to Jesus and he healed them” (Matthew 21:12,14).

“As a child, I was quite impressed with ‘The Cleansing of the Temple’ account. I imagined Jesus standing up to the bad guys, very similar to the inevitable saloon fights depicted in old TV westerns. Even now, I still focus on Jesus banishing the bad elements from the temple and concluding with His scripture, ‘My house was designated a house of prayer; You have made it a hangout for thieves.’ We understand these merchants and money changers were personally profiting and thereby detracting from Temple’s true purpose, but their removal is not the end of the story. This bold action of Jesus makes room for those who were being excluded. At that time, the blind and other individuals with disabilities were marginalized. Many believed that personal disabilities were a result of sin and a sign of God’s disfavor. The compassion of Jesus is radically counter-cultural.

A St. John’s friend recently encouraged me to consider how this scripture relates to us as the Temple of the Holy Spirit. What is taking up space in my life and impeding spiritual growth? I have to confess that I live a privileged life and would like it to stay that way. I also want this for loved ones. It is natural to desire good health and a problem-free life, but when I’m not careful this focus takes up too much space in my spiritual walk. I’m open to God’s direction, as long as it doesn’t disturb my plans. 

When I admit my brokenness and seek healing, I’m making more room for the Holy Spirit. These experiences occur in both personal contemplation and intimate fellowship with others. It’s a true blessing to be in relationship with people of faith who are open about their brokenness. I’ve had the privilege to experience this with loved ones, including Palestinians living in the West Bank. Jesus calls us to be selfless and compassionate, but we need not consider it a command or something we “should do.” Rather, we find our true soul when we relinquish our selfish egos. We create space for the Holy Spirit to work both in ourselves and throughout our community. 

Dear Lord, we thank you for your Son’s compassion. We confess the many times we hold onto our selfish desires and block your Holy Spirit’s creative power. Help us focus on selflessness so that we may grow in our relationship with you and further your kingdom. Amen.” 

– Mike Connor 

Frankly, what impressed me first about my friend’s meditation was the rendition of Matthew 21:12,14. It’s taken from The Message, a Bible paraphrase by Eugene H. Peterson. It says that once Jesus evicted the profiteers – other translations term them “money changers” – then “there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. Then they came to Jesus and he healed them.” I had never seen this passage phrased in this way before, and it struck me like the proverbial ton of bricks.

Although we weren’t there when Jesus did chased out the Temple retailers, I suspect we’ve all experienced something similar, both in our personal lives and in our congregations. Getting so caught up in self and our wants can hinder us from advancing spiritually. As Mike wrote, “I’m open to God’s direction, as long as it doesn’t disturb my plans.”

And our churches, many of them featuring slick media presentations, high-tech musical equipment, and carefully crafted worship formats: Have we become so professional, so well-programmed that we leave no room for “the least of these,” as Jesus described the hungry, the thirsty, the poor and needy, the sick and those in prison (Matthew 25:34-46)?

Are you thinking this doesn’t apply to you or your situation? Well, how do you respond when God sees fit to disturb your plans? Or how would people in your congregation react if, midway through a worship service, a group of homeless people walked in, a heavily tattooed addict stumbled toward the altar, or a prostitute sat down next to you? As I write this, I find myself convicted. Is there room for the crippled and blind to get in? 

Ministry of Just Being There

If there’s one characteristic that fits most of us, it’s being busy. We rush from place to place, one appointment to the next, frantic to squeeze one more thing into the inflexible limits of a 24-hour day. We feel guilty if we’re not actually doing something. However, sometimes the best thing we can do is just be there.

We see an example in the Old Testament book of Job. The central character of this account, Job had lost everything – livestock, barns, servants, sons and daughters, and finally his health. And none of it because of anything he’d done wrong.

Upon hearing about Job’s successive calamities, his friends Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar rushed to his side. They offered sympathy and tried to give him comfort. “Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was” (Job 2:13).

Zophar so good…I mean, so far. They were there for him, wept with him, showed compassion, and kept their mouths shut for seven complete days. Then they made a critical mistake. After hearing Job bemoan his plight, they decided to do something. It was time to fix the problem, the three agreed, and took turns insisting Job must have brought this adversity upon himself, so he needed to fess up, tell God what he’d done wrong, and seek His forgiveness.

This didn’t help joyless Job at all. It’s not recorded per se in the passage but he probably thought, “With friends like these, who needs enemies?” Maybe we can’t blame the friends for presuming somehow Job was being punished for his sins and repentance was in order. But what Job needed most was not advice or accusations, but simply for them to be there with him.

I thought of this after reading a comment from a writer in India I’ve gotten acquainted with. I’ll call him Raj. Like me, Raj and his wife have children and grandchildren, and he was telling about visiting their son’s family in Australia. They took the grandchildren to a playground nearby, and the first day no one was there. The next day a few children were already there and asked if they could join in playing.

Each day Raj, his wife and grandchildren visited the playground, they found more children there, all eager to join the playground festivities until the number had grown to more than two dozen. Raj started referring to them as “the team.”

One day they did not go to the playground, and Raj writes, “we got a surprise of our life the next day. More than a dozen children had come to our house, some with their toy guns, threatening to shoot and asking why I didn’t come to play. When we were leaving to return to India, they marked our departure with tears.”

What did my writing colleague from India do? Not much really. He was just being there, first with his grandchildren and then with other children who were eager to join them in some playground games. But by just being there, Raj gave what they needed most – a little love, attention, and some happy smiles.

It’s amazing what just being there can accomplish. When friends are grieving the loss of a loved one, what they need most is not our platitudes, or abundant words of comfort or assurances that time will heal the hurt, but for us to just be there showing we care.

I’ve mentioned before my friend, Gary Highfield, who wrote When ‘Want To’ Becomes ‘Have To!’ to tell his story of overcoming a childhood of dysfunction and poverty to build a surprisingly successful business career. Leveraging the message of his book, Gary now goes into public schools and meets with middle school and high school youths faced with similar adversity, helping to dispel their hopelessness and replace it with hope for a brighter future. Most of all, he’s just being there.

Some friends at our church are deeply invested in a midweek children’s program, working with boys and girls from poor, single-parent homes. For a couple of hours each week, youngsters are greeted with what they rarely find at home – focused attention, genuine love, and an escape from loneliness and bad influences. Again, our friends know the value of just being there.

I’ve experienced this myself in mentoring other men, visiting open-heart surgery patients as a volunteer, and picking up the phone and calling a friend I haven’t talked to in a while. Sometimes being there is the only thing you can do – but often it’s also the best thing to do.

There might be specific things we can do besides offer our physical presence, but being there is a necessary first step. Jesus referred to this when He told the crowd gathered around Him, “The righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ Then 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…’” (Matthew 25:34-46).

Do you have a desire to do something great for God? How about just being there?

What Are We to Do About Poverty?

How do you feel when you’re walking down a city street and someone approaches you asking for “spare change” or some kind of help? How do you respond?

Do you avoid eye contact and keep walking? Do you pause, politely listen to what the person has to say, and then simply say, “Sorry, I can’t help you”? Do you wish you could peer into the heart of the individual to determine whether there’s a real need – or if this is just one of those I call “the professional poor”? Or do you reach for your wallet, or purse, give some money, and then wonder if you did the right thing?

Randy Nabors' book, MERCIFUL,
offers to help answer questions
many of us ask about poverty.

I’ve done all of the above. One day the receptionist at work summoned me to the front desk to talk with someone seeking help. The man, whose name – like mine – was Robert, asked to speak in private, then told me his car was being repaired. The serpentine belt had broken, he said, and he lacked $18.57 to pay the bill.

I had gone to the bank earlier that day to withdraw cash, so I couldn’t honestly use the “I didn’t have any money” excuse. Since the fellow shared my first name I thought, “Maybe this isn’t a coincidence; perhaps the Lord sent him to me for help.” And “Robert” hadn’t made a general request. He needed a specific amount. So I gave him $20. He thanked me and went on his way.

Weeks later I was talking to a friend who worked at the post office downtown. When I recalled this episode, he laughed. “Oh, that’s the serpentine-belt guy. He comes by the post office once in a while with the same story!”

When I looked in the mirror later that day, I was almost certain the word “SUCKER!” was written across my forehead.

But scenarios like this are a real dilemma. And not all the people who seek assistance are con artists. So what are we to do about the poor – and the larger issue of poverty?

There’s no easy, one-size-fits-all solution, but my friend, Randy Nabors, has just published a book that will be a great resource for many of us who really would like to help those in need, but are puzzled about what are the best things to do.

His book is entitled, MERCIFUL: The Opportunity and Challenge of Discipling the Poor Out of Poverty. (It’s available on Amazon.com.) There has been much written about the issue of poverty, from many perspectives. But Randy has unique credentials to address this ever-present problem – and suggest workable solutions.

He experienced poverty himself, growing up in the projects of Newark, N.J. with a single mom and several sisters. He never knew his father, and if it weren’t for members of a caring church in their community, Randy could easily have become a sad statistic of urban blight and despair. Instead, involvement in the church taught him simple but important things – such as what a healthy family looked like; how men properly treated their wives, and how to work.

Through the kindness and generosity of a Christian businessman, Randy was able to do what is unimaginable for most inner city youths – go to college. He proceeded to attend seminary, taking along his wife, Joan, whose family had also lived in the projects. Together they struggled, one day at a time, sometimes not knowing the source of their next meal, but determined to pursue Randy’s calling to become a pastor and return to minister to the urban poor.

And that’s what he did, serving many years as pastor of New City Fellowship in Chattanooga, Tenn., a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural congregation with members from every economic level. Guided by Randy’s vision, the church established a very intentional, effective ministry to the poor, providing not only immediate relief but also helping those in need learn how to help themselves and become self-sustaining, productive citizens – and in many cases, church leaders.

The Bible says much about our responsibility to address the needs of the poor, but perhaps the most compelling, convicting passage I’ve ever read is Ezekiel 16:49, “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; but they did not help the poor and needy.” We could easily replace “Sodom” with “America,” because in many respects we too have become arrogant, overfed and unconcerned.

Randy’s book isn’t just his story, but a comprehensive, well-considered guide for dealing with a pervasive problem in proactive, life-changing ways. Today some people think the answer is simply providing more benefits and raising the minimum wage. Others staunchly contend it’s a matter of poor people taking the initiative to seek out a job.

He points out this problem is far more complex, more deeply rooted than the so-called liberal and conservatives camps understand or are willing to admit. But it’s not hopeless – MERCIFUL offers many real-life stories of people who found the dignity of no longer being dependent on others, for the first time experiencing hope and joy through the power of community, caring relationships, and faith in a God who promises to provide for His children.

And Randy affirms that in coming to the aid of others, there is another kind of joy – just as Jesus described: “For 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, I needed clothes and you clothed me…. I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:35-40).

What the poor need – according to Randy, a man who knows better than most of us, having been both beneficiary and benefactor in the war on poverty – Is not pity or dispassionate handouts that only perpetuate misery. They need mercy – biblical mercy that manifests the love of God in both tangible and practical ways that feed people not only for a day, but also for a lifetime.

MERCIFUL. The title makes sense. As the Scriptures tell us, “And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).