As the year is coming to a close and Chris and I realize we have some money we would like to donate...well, really tithe. Without going into specifics and getting into theological arguments about tithing, we believe as Christians we are called to live a life that is not centered on storing up treasures here on earth, but instead living it faithfully, trusting God to supply our needs and making sure that we support our church and support honest, genuine organizations that help those who may be struggling.
I was going through my list of organizations/people I like to give to. I am amazed at the number of people I know who have sacrificed so much to follow the call of the Lord to serve others, showing what it means to "love your neighbor" and "store up your treasures in heaven". They have sacrificed time, money, and/or comfort to serve in countries and communities that have some pretty drastic needs. This is what the face of Christianity looks like to me.
This is part of the reason why I can't understand the stereotypes some people hold of Christianity. I recognize that often it is due to ignorance or experiences based on bad representation of Christianity. Part of what people must understand though is that a religion or a particular faith can't be measured based solely on the people they have encountered. Humans are just that...human; imperfect, arrogant, selfish. I do believe that real faith does change a person, though, and the people should reflect the faith. All too often those stereotypes of Christians are there because we have done a bad job representing our faith. That's not the whole story, though. That's not my experience. My experience has been one that only strengthens my faith through the encouragement of those modeling real Christianity. Let me share with you why. Let me share with you some of the people who live out the love and humility that Christians are supposed to...
I think of the friend who moved to Eastern Africa shortly after college for over a year. She worked in a village and met a woman who was dying from AIDS. Her son would be left alone. This young, single woman decided that she would adopt this baby. After going through all the red tape and extra work, delaying her arrival back to the States, she followed through. I think of this immense faith. There are plenty of reasons a young woman in her early 20's would not want to take on that kind of commitment, but she did. Not too many years later she would meet a young man and together they would move back to Africa and face many trials, especially health related. Eventually they had to move back to the States, but this did not keep them from continuing their call, even if it was from a distance.
Another friend had a dream where she was given the name of a village. She discovered that it was a real village with a real need in West Africa and from there, the family moved to Africa for a year for a church plant. The ministry is still going strong, bringing clean water and education along with the Gospel. Then there is the friend who after years of service teaching in Santa Ana is one of the most poverty stricken neighborhoods decided to leave his stable job and move his whole family to South Africa to work in an orphanage.
There are the friends who have served and are still serving in the Middle East - Israel, Iraq, Egypt, UAE...and the friend serving in Ukraine. These may or may not be incredibly poor areas, but the safety issues are certainly real. One friend who had served in the Middle East for a while had her friend come visit our small group and share her story. She had been shot numerous times and lost her husband and two other missionary friends in Iraq. These people are willing to give it all up, not because it promises them an automatic place, or a higher position in the afterlife.
There are the friends here in the States who serve in countless ways...teaching is probably the most common. There are youth pastors and senior pastors. Not only do those in ministry usually take very low pay (as an established teacher I make much more than many of my friends in ministry...they do it because they are called and love people - they have similar amounts of education as I do - many with master's degrees), but they also are a constantly opening up their homes to the people they work with and are on call 24 hours a day. Ministry isn't a job for most of them - it's simply a way of life that happens to give them enough pay to live modestly, often struggling to make ends meet. It's not about earning salvation.
I think of the friends I have served with on mission trips who maybe don't do this full time, but did sacrifice their vacation time and often their own money to go into incredibly poor villages around the world and spend time in uncomfortable situations so they could help bathe children who haven't had baths in a year, hand out clothes and food to those who live on the streets, bring clean water, play games with children infested with lice, work to paint a building or play basketball with impoverished children in incredible heat. Some of them were inspired to begin ministries aimed to help a need they saw in that area and continuously visit, fundraise, and organize for a places thousands of miles away. There are the friends who take time out of their busy schedules to volunteer regularly here at home in all kinds of capacities.
There is the family who was inspired to do something about the exploitation of young girls here in the US who have dedicated their lives to starting and growing an organization to not only rescue the girls out of this but also help rehabilitate them so they can leave their abusive pasts behind them. There is a close friend who has worked her whole career with either the homeless or families in poverty, trying to help people who struggle with addiction, mental illness, or any other myriad of reasons they are struggling to survive. Low pay is clearly not the reason nor the reward for this desire to help.
I could continue with the many ways I've seen the Christians, who I am proud to say I know, live out their faith, the generosity, the sacrifice, the love that is what Christianity is really about. They don't do it because they believe they need to in order to make it into heaven. Christianity is based on faith, not works, to "get into heaven". They do this because the love and grace they have been given by God through Jesus is what lives inside them and what is inside someone eventually works it's way out and impacts those around them, good or bad. I've seen so much good - so much love - come out of dedicated Christians I simply cannot understand the negative stereotypes people like to point out. None of these people I know are perfect, but no human being is. I would say that they are some pretty incredible human beings though.
One last note...there are plenty of people who are amazing humans with kind and loving hearts that do not practice Christianity. There are those of other faiths or those of no faith, that have good hearts filled with love for humankind. This is not to say only Christians behave this way, because I have clearly seen many people, particularly in my line of work, who give their lives in service to others. But, this blog post is to highlight a group that I feel too often today in the media have all the shortcomings and flaws regularly pointed out. I want to honor those I know who take their faith - Christianity - to heart and live a life that changes the lives of those around them.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:8-10
The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
Mark 12:31
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy,and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19-21
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