Can You Give Without First Passing Judgment ?

Luke 10:25-37 & I John 3:16-18

We often give to others only after we deem them worthy of our support. What if they are unworthy but God still tells us to give?

Soul Food

Luke 10:25-37

“On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’

‘What is written in the Law?’ he replied. ‘How do you read it?’

He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

‘You have answered correctly,’ Jesus replied. ‘Do this and you will live.’

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’

In reply Jesus said: ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’

The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’

Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.’”

I John 3:16-18

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

Soul Search

• What is your first thought when people ask you for help – especially financial help?

• Do you often have the same initial reaction (in your thoughts) when you encounter people in need?
  If there is a pattern in your initial reaction(s) and if so, what is it?

• Is it possible that God wants you to change the way you think or process situations when you encounter people who can use your help?
  What might those changes in your thinking be?

• Would you say you’re a judgmental person or a discerning person?
  Can you verbalize the difference?
  Is it possible that you’re ‘discerning’ things correctly and others who need help may have been irresponsible and/or negligent but that God still wants you to help them?
  Is that hard for you and if so, why?

Soul Moves

• Ask God to help you practice giving without judgment.
  This does not mean you ignore signs or ‘check out’ intellectually but it does mean that God might instruct you to give even when it goes against your “grain.”

• How do you think you’ll be rewarded in God’s eyes when it comes to the time when God might judge your willingness to give and to help others?
  Do you believe you’ll be rewarded by giving readily or by withholding your help?

• Have your eyes and ears open to God giving to you by providing opportunities for you to grow in your ability to give without judgment.
  Be prepared to learn to give simply because God has told you to.

• Ask God to remind you who actually owns and controls everything you have that you think is yours.
  It’s important to remember that as long as you live on this transitory earth that everything under your control is on loan to you as a steward.
  God actually owns it all.