16 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. 17 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? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:16-18 (NIV)
I want to share with you an experience I had at a store. I went to a store to pick up some errands and as I was searching the aisles, a young boy came up to me and asked me for $25. Before I had a chance to think, I turned to the kid and said “$25?! You’re crazy!” and continued my search.
Before you start to judge me let me “put you on some game” as the cool kids used to say. First things first. If you’re going to ask for money, ask for an amount that is reasonable and that you think that the person may possess. To me that ranges from coins to $5 tops. Now, understandably I was shopping in an affluent neighborhood so perhaps the rates of reasonable amounts to ask for have increased to the range of $20-$25.
Second thing, If you’re going to ask for money, let it be known what the purpose of the money is. People are more inclined to give you money if they know that it is going to something specific and that you have a plan for it.
Maybe I had too high of an expectation for this attempt to panhandle but it was pretty obvious that this kid was not homeless and simply just didn’t have money to buy what he wanted. To be honest, that wasn’t enough of a reason to just give him $25.
As I continued shopping, I couldn’t shake the audacity of this kid asking me for $25. Like doesn’t he know how this works. Is this his first time or something? Do I look like I got wads of cash?
I paid for my things and walked to the car. As I was loading my car with what I bought, I started to feel a strong conviction come upon me. I felt like God was saying “What if you were the only person who could bless this young boy today?” I thought to myself, there were so many other people in that store that probably make way more money than me, why do I have to be the one to bless him? Then I felt like God said “Because this is what I called you to do.”
So I got out of my car and went back into the store. I searched for the young boy, hoping that he left to be honest with you. When I found him, I told him “Listen, I’m not going to give you $25 but I’ll buy you what you want.” (This was my compromise). So he took me to the candy aisle and I told him to come with me to the cash register. I struck up a little conversation with him on the way asking him why he was not in school during the day and what he was up to and he shared that he was having difficulties at school and that they didn’t care about him so he left class and got hungry but had no money for food. As much as I wanted to continue the conversation, I had a bag of milk sitting in the car that I didn’t want to expire so I left him with a few words of encouragement, what he chose to buy and a simple God Bless You Man.
When I got into the car and drove off. I reflected on what had just happened. Then all of a sudden the Holy Spirit brought to my attention our memory verse 1 John 3:16-18 and then it hit me. At that point I had not put the two together. This was clearly a test of whether I would actually live out this verse. I don’t think I passed as I still tried to do it my way. But what really caught my attention was verse 17 “ 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?”
Did I have no pity? Have I become so callous to the poor and needy that I no longer see them through the eyes of compassion and empathy? Where was the love of God in me? Had I shown up to the store empty of love? Had I been hoarding God’s love like my own possessions?
Maybe it’s all of the above. I don’t know. I just know that this may be an area where God is trying to teach me something. An area where I need to unlearn and relearn what love is. So I pray a prayer that I also pray over myself:
I pray that when opportunities come our way and when we see a brother or sister in need that we would help them. I pray that our hesitations to help would get smaller and smaller and that our compassion and empathy for others would get bigger and bigger. May we have a better understanding of what love is through actions and truth. Holy Spirit, help us to put our ears to you so that we may do your will here on earth. Fill us with your love and help us to share it with those in need. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!