Stolen Candlesticks

I remember a time recently where I was helping a guy out (well, the church was, I was only the “delivery guy”) with some needed financial assistance, and as I gave him the cash, he began to lay a guilt trip on me about how much more he was going to need to make things work out for him. At that moment, I became pretty irritated. I kept my composure, and just explained that this was what we could do, and what had been agreed upon. As I left his hotel room, I was really struggling with my anger. I told the Lord, “Lord, I am sick and tired of trying to help people and all they seem to do is take it for granted. I mean, you give and give, and hardly is there ever anyone who sincerely thanks you, they just act bummed that you didn’t give them more!” Quietly the Lord reminded me of the many times that there HAVE been people who sincerely appreciated the help they were given, and that there have been many people who genuinely needed the help.

But then (as usual, because He always likes to bring the focus back on me and my own issues) He began to remind me of all the times that I have taken His grace (The Greek word “charis” – unmerited favor) for granted. I have received grace and instead of appreciating it, I got an attitude because God didn’t seem to do what I wanted Him to do. I thought of just how many times (as if I could count that high) I have messed up, only to have His grace and mercy poured out on me. I began to feel ashamed of my attitude. As I asked the Lord for forgiveness, I found myself thinking of the times that I have “helped” someone with a smile on my face, but in my heart I really had an attitude towards them. I thought of how generous the Lord is with what is His. He didn’t have to give us all these amazing resources, and when you come down to it, it’s all His anyway, as David pointed out: “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalms 24:1 ESV). If it is all His, then He can give it to who He wants to, and it’s not up to us to decide who gets what. Now I have understood this for a long time, but I still carried an attitude sometimes. But I realized that by having an attitude when giving, in a sense I am guilty of the same attitude of the unforgiving servant that Jesus told us about in Matthew 18. I have been not only forgiven so much, but I have been given so much!

In light of that, how can I possibly distribute God’s resources with an attitude? Jesus said in Matthew 10, “Freely you have received, freely give.” Now, in the Greek, that word freely literally means “for nothing” – in other words, “no strings attached”! And that includes my attitude, because if I am giving with an attitude, then not only am I misrepresenting the Lord, I am assuming the position of deciding who REALLY deserves what, AND I’m just flat out being a hypocrite. With my actions I’m saying one thing, but with my heart, I’m saying something totally different.

There’s one other reason why it is important to give “no strings attached”. If we don’t, and we give out of “this is what I have to do, but I’m really not happy about it, and I really don’t think you deserve this, etc.”, then we will slowly get more and more bitter towards those who need help. We will become more and more jaded, and eventually we may even cease helping at all, which means that we completely stop representing Christ to this world.

I am reminded of Victor Hugo’s great work “Les Miserables”, in which the main character Jean Valjean escapes from prison and hides in a church. The bishop is very kind to him, feeding him and caring for him. Jean flees the church, however, and steals some silver candlesticks from the church. He is captured, but when he is brought back to the church, the bishop tells the guards (who are unaware he is an escaped prisoner) that he gave Jean the silver. The guards release him, and the priest later tells Jean, “I have redeemed you with these two candlesticks”. Jean goes on to become a man who lives his life for the benefit of others. How do we know that the guy that we are helping out isn’t a “Jean Valjean”, and that our gift may be the catalyst in his life that finally brings him to Jesus? It isn’t up to us to decide, but to give. God has given us everything, freely, with no reproach. He has redeemed our lives with the life of His own Son, and then filled us with Himself, giving us “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places”(Eph. 1:3). Simply astounding!

It is my prayer that we, as the body - the “hands and feet”, if you will - of Christ, will give like He does, and love like He does, because that’s what really makes the difference. Let us hold loosely to the things of this life, choosing to be a conduit, not a receptacle, of God’s grace and provision.

I love you all...