“Finding Time for Generosity”

Fred Wikoff

470 Lochmoor Pl.

Eugene, OR 97405

Phone: 541-343-4918

Words 496

Finding Time for Generosity

Years ago a high school buddy asked me bluntly, “Why is it when I ask someone in the Church to help me with a home project they are always busy, while my friends outside the Church always seem to find time?”

As I searched for an answer that would excuse me from being included in my buddy’s accusation of “someone in the Church,” I felt a troubling pang of guilt. While my friend hadn’t directly mention it, I’d turned him down a month earlier when he wanted help hauling several pickup loads of firewood. I can’t remember what sort of answer I finely came up with, but that he found it necessary to ask the question still bothers me to this day.

It’s not that I had lots of free time back then. Coming from a working class family, I’d stopped participating in high school athletics my senior year, and cut classes to the required three in order to work five hours a day. I was also heavily involved in my church’s youth group, an inter high school Christian club, and county president of a state Christian Endeavor Union.

Still, I felt guilty. Even then I knew that giving was a big part of being a Christian and felt my friend had a right to expect more of me. But I also knew that there are only so many hours in a day and I was already stretched beyond my limit. So I eased my guilt by taking solace in the giving I was already doing.

Sadly, it was years before I finally learned the real truth about Christian giving: Christ didn’t want just my spare time and money . . . he wanted me . . . all of me.

When I finally pushed my ego aside and gave him complete control of my life, I was amazed at how quickly the guilt and uncertainty surrounding what or how much to give disappeared. Now Christ decides and I follow. It’s as easy and simple as that.

Yes, my days are still work filled. Christ never promised that following him would be easy. Giving to others in his name can be dirty, back breaking labor, and often leads down paths I normally wouldn’t choose. But when we decided to follow him, he makes it very clear: “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

Still, he never asks more from us then he has already given. He came to serve and expects the same from us. Ideally, our generosity in giving should become so commonplace that it’s done without thought, and we have to ask, “Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?” (Matthew 25:37)

“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40)