1 John 3:17

"If anyone has material posessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"

This is one of those bible verses you probably will never hear your pastor preach on.  This is where, they say, you go "from stepping on my toes to meddling."  But then, if one is not in right relationship to God and obedient, just about everything in the bible will be meddling.  Right?

John's letters all have to do with love for God, and what better way to show your love then to share what you have with others.  It must be in the "Gospel of Me" where Jesus said "thou shalt hoard all your possessions for you have earned them and they are yours."  How quickly we forget whose it really is and where it came from. 

When we look at this verse, what it says to us is "if I love God, I will share what I have."  Rot Row, Elroy.  Does that mean that if I don't share, I don't love God?  Hard, isn't it?  We sure don't want to part with anything that's ours.  I will tithe, somewhat, but sharing with others is taking this thing a bit too far. 

There are people in every one of our churches who at this very moment are caught between a rock and a hard place financially and in those same churches are people so very well off that they could afford to pay their electric bill or water bill or garbage bill for one month.  But that's something unheard of.  We have people in our churches who need rides to  church, of all places, and no one will pick them up.  We have people in our churches in need of medical attention who have no insurance, and in those same churches are doctors who could donate their services to help them, and won't.  Where is the love of God in all of this?  Are we so selfish, so greedy, so self-centered that we can't share out of the abundance God has blessed us with?  Shame, shame, shame on us. 

Is there a single mom or dad in your congregation that is struggling financially to feed and clothe his or her  family, pinching every penny to make ends meet?  Why don't the women of the church have a pantry shower for him or her and shower him or her with all non-edible products?  Soaps and paper products of all kinds are expensive.  Help them stretch their funds.  That's love of God.  Auto mechanics, do oil changes and repairs for an elderly woman driver or two or three in your congregation.  That's love of God.  Is somebody housebound?  Take them some casseroles.   That's love of God.  It's wintertime and someone's drive needs plowed and you have a plow.  Do it and don't charge them.  That's love for God.  And the list can go on and on and on.

We have men's and women's groups in our churches that meet for "prayer breakfasts" and "teas" and bible studies, but what are they doing with all of this "holy stuff"  to meet the physical needs of people right in their own churches?

We are all so well provided for.  God has been so good to us.  Our homes are overflowing with the excess.  Look at all the toys and electronic gadgets we buy for ourselves just to play.   If we looked real hard, I think we could find something to help someone out with.    How can the love of God be in me if I am so unwilling to share what I have with others?

How much do I love God?  What are people seeing in my life?  Am I willing to step out of my comfort zone and extend myself in the name of Jesus?  What kind of a witness is my church?
What can I do to make a difference?

Lord God Almighty, change me.  Use me.  Show me where I can make a difference in someone's life.  Help me to ease the burden of another.  What I have is yours, my Lord and Master.  Show me how to use it to your honor and glory.  Amen.