But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 1 John 3:17-18
“Helping someone in need is not about giving someone some spare change. It’s not an obligatory act. The holy love of God is about compassion, which is a Holy Spirit inspired disposition of the heart that leads to action.
The big issue isn’t whether we are helping people in need; it’s whether our heart is truly open to those we are helping. I’ve helped people in need many times in order to make myself feel better, but I can’t say my heart was truly open to them …
Love means doing something for another from the deep wellsprings of Christ in us. It’s not just actions, nor is it mere truth. Love is a holy compulsion to help others, everywhere, all the time, no matter what … so help us God. John isn’t trying to shake us up. He’s shaking us down. He’s not accusing us, but awakening us.”
J.D. Walt in “People Need Help, Not Pity” blog post on 1 May 2015 at Seedbed’s Daily Text.
Bam! J.D. nailed it. How often do we help from a closed heart? We have the “world’s goods” in one side and a “brother in need” on the other. At that moment, John is trying to wake us to the reality that we are positioned to be generous conduits because of God’s love. When we don’t, we reveal our heart condition.
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