Make It Personal

A couple months after a dear friend’s husband left her with a two-year-old and a baby on the way, she called and asked my husband and me if she could borrow some money. She had a large credit card bill she needed to pay off so she could get on her feet and move forward.

We loved her. We really wanted to help her. And we had the money to loan her, but it would be a sacrifice. We trusted her, but we also knew it was risky; financial arrangements like that can really do damage to relationships if they go south.

But we loved her. So, we took the risk.

She eventually paid every penny back. In fact, she paid us something every month, without fail, until the debt was gone, even if it was only ten dollars.

I don’t tell this story to toot our horns for our generosity, or even to toot hers for her perseverance. This story is a significant one in my life because it changed the way I view my money.

Scripture speaks clearly and frequently about the importance of helping those in financial need and about the sin of greed. This is why so many Christians push for government policies that help the poor. And yes . . . okay. But what I learned in this situation was that these commands are less about the meeting of financial needs and more about changing the humans involved.

My friend came out of our arrangement the better for it in many more ways than financially. She knew that we were making a sacrifice here and that we thought her worth the sacrifice. She knew that we believed in her, that we trusted her, that we loved her. And our faith in her built her up. She was motivated to do what she needed to do to live up to what we saw in her. Her gratitude towards us – and to God – was full. 

(In contrast, on a visit to her house during this time, I witnessed the shame she felt using the assistance she received from the government in her early years as a single mom. That shame was palpable. Thankfully, the encouragement she felt from us was also, and it seemed to outweigh the shame.)

God wasn't just working in her, however. I was changed. We weren't rich or anything, but we were comfortable, and I liked the comfort that money gave us. But I now began to view my money differently . . . not as a well-deserved reward for our hard work and frugality . . . nor as a source of security . . . nor as a means to enjoy life. Money is a tool we are entrusted with, I realized – something God puts in our hands (which are his hands, also) to be used to accomplish his work in the world.

Like meeting the needs of a broken family. Like building up the heart of a dear hurt friend.

God could have paid off that credit card bill in any number of ways, but he chose to do it in a way that changed us both for the better. I was truly humbled and transformed in this experience. And I am not similarly changed when I pay my taxes to support government programs that help the needy. Maybe that’s my own fault; maybe I should be.

But I suspect these commands to care for others are meant to be carried out in a personal way. At most, perhaps at a church level. Back when these instructions were given, churches were small. If your congregation was buying groceries for someone in the body, it was someone you knew, someone you were praying for, someone who directly felt the love of God through their brothers and sisters in Christ. As we studied in Bible study tonight in Ephesians 2, we are all members of God's household. Caring for each other's needs is more than writing a check to send somewhere. Not that we should stop writing those checks, but I don't want to sit in smug satisfaction after doing so. I don't think checks in the mail accomplish God's full purpose here.

So, I challenge you all, my readers, as I challenge myself today. Get personal. Watch for God to open your eyes to a need somewhere around you . . . and listen for the Spirit to nudge you to meet that need. There is never an excuse for indifference.