Giving to others

Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself

Posted on by Bob Mathews

In our society today it is common for one to not want to get involved in other people’s problems, perhaps prompted by the misguided idea that we have no responsibility unto others in their time of need. The story of the good Samaritan, whether a parable or an account of actual events, illustrates otherwise (Luke 10:25-37).

Probably, most Christians today will not ask, “Who is my neighbor?,” in an effort to justify indifference to the needs of others. Yet, if we are inattentive to those needs when we have the opportunity and ability to address them (ref. Mt. 25:14-30), then we place ourselves in a similar context as that of the lawyer who sought to justify himself.

As illustrated in the story, everyone does not exercise a spirit of unselfish love and compassion for strangers. The very ones that would be expected to do so, in view of their religious standing, may deliberately avoid the responsibility. Such is a tragedy for the Lord’s church and an embarrassment and sin for those who exercise an uncaring heart.

The Samaritan’s context is compelling. He was of pagan stock who was cursed publicly in the synagogue. The Jews prayed that Samaritans would have no part in the resurrection of life and rejected them as proselytes. To eat their food was regarded by the Jew as eating the flesh of swine. The Jews thought it better to suffer than to accept the help of a Samaritan. They avoided them if at all possible. Yet, when the stranger was in need, the Samaritan assisted beyond measure. He extended a caring heart to the very ones who seemed to despise him greatly. He truly is our example of being a neighbor to those about us. May we direct our lives in a way that gives us the courage and aptitude to love the unlovely and to make a lasting impact in our community.

The Noticer

Posted on by Bob Mathews

That’s the title of a book I read several years ago. It’s actually a fairly short book, but with other things stealing my time, it took me a while to finish it.

…a grateful perspective brings happiness and abundance into a person’s life.

Part fiction, part nonfiction, it’s taken a good bit from the experiences of the author, who lost both parents as a teenager and was homeless — living beneath a pier. The Noticer is a man known simply as “Jones”. It’s not really correct to say Jones changed the author’s life. More correct would be to say Jones caused the author to change his outlook on everyday situations, and that’s what changed his life.

Here’s one of Jones’ tidbits:

“Here for you, young man, is a law of the universe—one of many, to be sure, but one that is especially applicable to your life at present. Remember, whatever you focus upon, increases.”

Jones explains:

“When you focus on the things you need, you’ll find those needs increasing. If you concentrate your thoughts on what you don’t have, you will soon be concentrating on other things that you had forgotten you don’t have—and feel worse! If you set your mind on loss, you are more likely to lose…But a grateful perspective brings happiness and abundance into a person’s life.”

One way Jones causes us to think about interpersonal relationships is to explain the “four major dialects that we use to convey and feel loved.” Here are the four:

  • Spoken words of approval
  • Favors and deeds
  • Personal contact
  • Quality time

I’ll just pass those along without comment other than that we all feel loved in different ways. If we limit the way we convey love to only the way we most feel loved, we’ll fail much of the time.

This book is very biblical, but it’s not based on scripture; it’s based on experience. It’s a book that would be at home on any Christian’s bookshelf, but don’t let it spend too much time there; read it first, share it, and if you’re lucky enough to get it back, read it again. Then put it on your bookshelf!

The Noticer, © 2009 by Andy Andrews. Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc.
Video of the author’s interview with Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts

How readily do you accept gifts from others?

Posted on by Bob Mathews

I read an article some time back (on a blog that doesn’t exist anymore), and it got me thinking about a fairly common practice. Let me ask you this: When someone offers to do something nice for you or to give you something, what’s your first response? If you’re out to dinner with a friend, and she picks up the check, do you argue about it or do you accept her generosity? What would you do if you were sick, and you heard a neighbor mowing your lawn? You’d probably offer to pay him for the trouble, which is fine, but what if he refused? Do you insist (and keep on insisting) that he accept payment, or do you thank him for his gracious gift of kindness?

…salvation itself is a gift; Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that

I think many, if not most, of us react in those situations with feelings of shame or embarrassment — “I should be doing things like this more often.” Some of us react with the attitude of “You don’t have to do that.” And you know what? Those feelings are exactly right. As Christians, we should be known for our acts of kindness. Of course your friend didn’t have to mow your lawn. That’s why it’s called a gift. Gifts, by definition, are things we don’t deserve.

I contend if we have trouble accepting gifts and kind deeds from our friends & neighbors, we have the same difficulty accepting these things from our Heavenly Father. Indeed, salvation itself is a gift; Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that. So often though, we quote those 2 verses and leave out verse 10: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Consider this:

  • We are created to do good works. (Ephesians 2:10 – By the way, any scripture references you see in any of our articles here, if you hover the mouse pointer over them, you can read the verse in a popup. If you click, it will open in a new tab.)
  • We glorify our Father when we do so. (Matthew 5:16)
  • Thus, when you fail to accept a gracious gift from someone, you prevent him or her from fulfilling the purpose for which we were all created! You prevent others from glorifying God.

What do you think?