“Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.” - Matt 5:42
What do we consider our own and what belongs to God?
First let us understand that if Jesus tells us this verse is how to live than this is the way He lives towards us. He is always ready to do things simply because we have asked Him. Many times what we ask is not even important but He answers because we went to Him about it. In these verses there are no stipulations made as to what qualifies for an answer. Jesus doesn't say give to him who asks because he is worthy of your answer or because he will make good use of what you give him. It's just give to him who asks. He doesn't say lend to him because he will bring your property back in one piece or he is always making the best use of what he borrows. Jesus just says don't turn away. It's a good thought for when you are feeling discouraged about your own requests to the Lord. It is good to know that He thinks like this to.
Beginning to do things that others have asked is the thing that stirs our heart to their needs and pulls us out of our own world for a moment. It also challenges our selfish nature on what we consider our own. It challenges us on what we have said belongs to God and causes us to discover what really belongs to Him. It is only when we are asked to surrender things that we begin to understand how much those things matter to us. It might be our time, our things, or people, or it might be combination that includes all of them.
“Turning away” is a great definition to ignoring a need because it takes a person physically turning away from helping someone in order not to help them. It is a choice made in the moment. It is a choice made when we look the other way and don't stop to help. It is a choice that is a response to a direct request or plea. In other words, it’s not accidental and we must claim ownership of what happens if we did not do it.
Here is the convicting part
Someone or many people are hurting because we are disobeying the Lord. While we are seeking our own happiness and self fulfillment very often we are turning a deaf ear to what God would have for us to be doing or sacrificing for Him. As a result of this there are people suffering who did not have to be. Because we have refused to leave the comfort of our own things and our own plans, we have made ourselves unavailable to go and help those the Lord had intended for us to help. How many people right now could point to you and say why have I suffered for no reason because you didn’t come when God called? Why have I suffered needlessly for years because you refused to leave your TV and pursuits and would not heed the call your Heavenly Father had made to you in order to rescue me?
These are sobering words and ones that the Lord has been bringing to my attention. There are so many people in distress who could turn and complain to the Lord that their rescuer never came. They could cry to the Lord and ask why I refused to heed His will, and had not come. In their their distress they could cry to the Lord and say how they could have been free from their misery so much sooner if I had obeyed. How many people have that claim upon me right now before God because I am in Christ. I have a very responsible position as an older brother. The minute we get saved we become an older brother or sister to someone.
So what are we doing that actually changes someone’s life? What are we doing that pulls them out of their horrible circumstances, their griefs and their despairs?
I’ve been thinking that if people come here and immediately feel a deep compassion and need to be helping someone, so much so that when they leave here they are anxious to go and find the first person they meet in order to help them, than we have done our job as a Bible School.
So the question is, who and I helping today?
application
_ Pray for opportunities to help at least one person today that you don’t normally come in contact with.
_ Share what God opened up and gave you as an opportunity.
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