“But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:17,18
Devotional Thought For The Day
This principle, that turning our back on those who have needs is evidence that God’s love does not abide in us, is very difficult to accept. For most of us, it is hard enough to get our own needs met, and to get ahead just a little bit. Yes, we know we should have compassion for others and we do, but to give away the little I’ve work so hard to squirrel away is painful. I like my things, and I’m not terribly greedy, but there are some other things that I’d like to have. This will never happen if I give away the little “excess” of this world’s goods that I do have.
We have another difficulty with this principle today. In years past I might not see a person in genuine “need” for days or weeks. With the advent of instantaneous and pervasive communications systems, I see need – massive need – every day. It comes up on the computer screen as soon as my system loads up my home page. How am I to “help” them and supply needs – I’d soon be broke and this would be less than even a drip in the bucket. I certainly don’t have enough of this world’s goods to remedy all of the needs of the poor. So I grow more accustomed to turning away from those in need, and this “callouses” my care and compassion – or it buries me in sorrow over the suffering of others. What is a great benefit – being aware of what is going on in other places, what people are suffering, becomes a painful, difficult, and spiritually dangerous thing.
Of first concern is that we not allow our hearts to become callous and cold, that we not “cloister” ourselves from the suffering in the world – and so risk extinguishing God’s love from our hearts. It helps, when we are overwhelmed with the troubles we become aware of, to share these concerns with God, to empathize with Him, to enter into His sorrows, for He loves these people far more than we do, and suffers with them far more intimately and completely than we do. I suspect that He appreciates the camaraderie, and is pleased to see that our hearts are in tune with His. Secondly, we must take stock of our “worldly goods” and communicate honestly with God about this – for He is the One Who supplies us. We should be honest about this appraisal, carefully distinguishing what our real needs are from what our “likes” are, what we need from what are pleasantries. Finally, it is important for us to actually do something, to move beyond merely loving in “word and talk” to loving “in deed and truth.” This may be giving financially or giving of time, effort, energy, and work – but the love of God ultimately compels us to “do” and not just “say.”
This may be little at first – and no one should castigate and judge another for how little his/her giving may be. After all it is something good, and that is better than nothing, and ultimately it is God “Who works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” [Phil. 2:13] So there is to be no boasting either from those who give much – but rather they should thank God that He has placed this generosity in their hearts, and freed them from our sinful selfishness. After all, we understand that it is more blessed to give than to receive, so the generous should actually be more humbly grateful to God. It takes time, but we can grow to realize that a person’s wealth is not truly measured by what he has, what he has been able to accumulate, but rather by what he has been able to give away. We must remember, however, that this too is the gift and blessing of God, that we receive from Him the grace of giving.
In these current times it seems that there is more need for many people, and perhaps even greater opulence and luxury for some. This intensifies the pull on us – whether we will pursue greater possessions, or whether we will give more generously and live more simply. All of this is part of the process of “denying self” [Matt. 16:24] and “crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires.” [Gal. 5:24] It is God’s love which compels this, which moves us to greater faith and trust in Him and greater devotion to His love. We pray that He would continue His work within us as He draws us more closely to Himself.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, You have given us the greatest example of humbling ourselves in simplicity so that we can love and give the most. Help us to grow in the blessedness of following You and becoming more like You. Help us also to not become overwhelmed by the sorrows of this world, or to become calloused and hard-hearted. Move us, by Your great love for us and for all people, to love in deed and in truth. Amen.