Ever felt a little guilty for “not doing enough”?
Ever been bonked with a “you’re going to hell” scripture aimed at pushing you to to sign up or open your wallet? Ever felt like you’re supposed to eradicate poverty, solve racism, eliminate human trafficking, or at least feel bad about not trying? Ever wonder if you’re really supposed to give everything to the poor, and feel a little hopeless because you don’t?
Me too. Sometimes we do it to ourselves, sometimes others happily misuse scripture for their purposes.
Jesus doesn’t motivate by creating a sense of guilt
Jesus is about relationship, about traveling together and building community. Those happen in an atmosphere of hope, freedom, and love.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
My first reaction? Jesus is starving; I need to run out and solve world hunger.
I’m supposed to make sure everyone has clean water while I’m curing homelessness, stocking Goodwill with clothing, visiting every sick person in town, and starting a prison bible study. Each of these “brothers and sisters” is Jesus in disguise, so I can’t miss even one.
That’s not Jesus talking. Our enemy tell us a lie because he knows “I have to do everything” really means “I won’t accomplish anything, but I’ll feel guilty about it.” Those guilty feelings paralyze, destroy community, and alienate us from Jesus.
Jesus doesn’t do guilt trips!
Suppose Jesus asks you and me to see (and do something about) the need that’s right in front of us?
What if it’s not about solving world hunger? What if it’s about having lunch, spending some time, with a person you know who’s struggling? What if it’s about befriending and visiting the person who’s imprisoned by invisible bars of loneliness, grief, and depression. What if He wants you to respond to that Facebook cry for help with an invitation to coffee?
What if the person Jesus wants us to see is the one we encounter in the course of our everyday lives, the one from whom we look away, the one we avoid because we feel a little uncomfortable or don’t know what to say? What if that person is “the least of these,” the one in whom He wishes we would see Him?
What if what He’s asking is that we do what we can, where we are, with what we have?
What if it’s not about doing everything, but about doing something. What if He’s asking each of us to take one step of faith, one step beyond our comfort zone, to meet a need right in front of us?
What if we don’t accept the invitation to serve out of guilt, but out of love.
Still not easy. Who said anything about easy?
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For the folks in the FREEDOM TOUR community, this means riding a bike to bring hope and freedom to kids rescued from human trafficking.
Lots of ways to join us. www.frontrangefreedomtour.org
How do you feel God nudging you out of your comfort zone?