April 27, (Tuesday)
A poor family seeking help knocked on the preacher’s front door. The pastor’s wife opened the door and there stood a man, his wife, and their little boy. They all needed food and clothing. The boy obviously needed shoes. The pastor was not at home, and the wife kindly stated how sorry she was that she could not help. Could they come back later? Suddenly her small son, about the same size as the boy in the poor family, appeared at her side and began removing his shoes. He then handed them to the needy boy. His benevolent act warmed his mother’s heart. After the poor family went on their way, the pastor’s son ran to the closet, opened a box that contained new shoes, then asked his mother, “May I wear these now?”
That’s a true story. When I heard it, a well-known pastor told it. He was preaching a sermon at a conference. (That boy followed in his pastor’s footsteps, becoming a pastor himself. Every time I saw him, even as a man, I thought of that story). After telling the story, the pastor commented on how we can do the right thing for the wrong reason.
We can also seek credit that we do not deserve for doing a good deed. Two men were sitting side by side in a church pew when the offering plate was passed. In his haste, one of the men put a ten dollar bill in the plate, having intended to put in a one dollar bill. He then confided in his friend what he had done. “Well, it’ll be all right,” he said, “I’ll get credit for ten dollars instead of the one dollar I intended to give.” His friend replied, “No, God will credit you for only one dollar because that’s all you intended to give.” What do you make of that? Was the friend correct in his estimation of the situation?
A motivational speaker went to a church an preached a stirring message on stewardship. He believed in the tithe, and gave illustrations of how people were blessed financially because they tithed. One man was so impressed that he went to a bank and borrowed money to give to the church because he was convinced that tithing was an outstanding investment that would pay off in much higher rates of interest than the bank. God promises to bless those who give to His work, but considering it a financial investment that pays high interest is a little off the wall, don’t you think?
In the book that became a movie, “Life with Father,” the father always put two offerings in his vest pockets. One was a larger amount than the other. When the offering basket was passed at the end of the service he would decide which offering to give, depending upon what he thought of the sermon. My, oh my! He did not understand the meaning of stewardship at all. Well, you might say, he gave to the church any way you look at it. Right, but for the right reason? I think not.
Perhaps you are a person who does many good things. Are you doing them for the right reasons? It’s something to think about. Jesus put much emphasis in his teaching about what goes on in our hearts. That’s what God sees. And his vision is 20/20.
MY JESUS, I LOVE THEE
Words, William R. Featherston, 1864
Music, Adoniram J. Gordon, 1876
My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign;
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.