I was leading a group of 8 students on an inner-city trip. We were working with a family who does urban ministry. On the way home from an outreach, James, the man we were working with, saw a homeless man. He asked if anyone had a dollar and a tract. Nobody had one available in time, but as we drove on someone asked, “You give them cash? Aren’t you worried about how they’ll spend it?” James replied simply, saying, “Yes, I do give them money if I have it. But think about it, how many times do we misuse God’s gifts to us, brother?”
I spent quite a bit of time in High School and college volunteering at our local Salvation Army. This was really the first experience I had working with people who had less than I did. I’d spent hours serving at church, but the Salvation Army soup kitchen was a very different environment! I loved dishing up food, smiling at people, and working hard in the kitchen. I volunteered with some interesting people, too. I’m not sure why they were there. Some of them were simply negative complainers. They were constantly complaining about how people took too many cans of free soda, threw away food, and didn’t say thank you. Those things bothered me a little bit, but it didn’t seem like a big deal. I never said anything about it; I just quietly processed it in my mind.
I never would have seen the correlation between those two experiences until I heard an impacting message on generosity. I’d like to share what I learned.
Consider the difference between why Christians give and why the world gives. Christmas is a prime example. Many people are looking for charity, and many people are willing to give – both Christ-followers and self-centered pagans. What’s the difference?
Have you ever ministered to someone and gotten frustrated because of lack of change? What about lack of gratitude? Sometimes it feels like what we’re doing isn’t making a difference. We try to think about their future and positively affecting them, but they don’t even seem to care about their future. If this drains you of your compassion, consider what Jesus said…
In Luke 6, Jesus shares some words of encouragement. Verse 30 says we’re to “Give to everyone who asks you.” That’s a powerful command! How many times have I passed by the homeless guy on the corner and thought, “I can’t give… he’ll misuse it.”
When we serve and see result or give and see the profit, we’re inspired. We get a good feeling. Sometimes it’s easy to let that good feeling motivate our continued giving. This is altruism at its best: be selfless, because in the end it benefits you. We focus on the end result. If the results don’t show up, we let that guide our response – and stop giving.
Jesus continues in verse 33, saying, “If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full.” We feel “credited” when we get the good feeling of helping someone out. At the same time, we expect to be somehow repaid by gratitude or good results.
There are two motivating factors much greater than our own feeling or credit. First, we should be motivated by what God did for us. Verse 35 says “Your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” We are most like God when we’re kind and generous … not toward the ones who give us gratitude or a good feeling, but towards the ungrateful (the ones who don’t say “thanks”) and the wicked (the ones who may potentially misuse the gift or service). Am I like God, who gave so generously to us, the ones who don’t thank Him and often misuse His gifts?
The second motivation is the motivation of Jesus. Why did Jesus give His all for those who were ungrateful and wicked? Bottom line, He desired to please the Father. He doesn’t look at us and say, “I’m not giving you my grace, because you’ll misuse it.” He’s looking at us and saying, “Be merciful, because my Father is merciful” (verse 36).
The more we give to serve people, the more we become like God and the more we please the Father. Isn’t it worth saying, “I’m giving this in Jesus’ name, with no expectations of return”?
Ask yourself today: What motivates you to give and serve? What keeps your compassion strong? What would you say if you never again saw results?
When you’re feeling tired and feeling demotivated, remember Hebrews 12:2-3: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”