Living in Love, Willing to Share

In 1st Thessalonians 2, the apostle Paul writes about the unselfish approach that he took toward the church at Thessalonica:

8So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.9For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.10You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe;11as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children,12that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
This is a wonderful picture of how we each are called to live a selfless life, putting the needs of others about our own, sharing the love of Jesus, not only in words, but in action.   And, there was a potentially life-changing effect that Paul's ministry team related to the people receiving his ministry.   God calls us to be willing to share, and if we are driven by the love of Christ within our hearts, the Lord will work through us to testify to His love.

In Luke 6, we find Jesus taught about loving others and being willing to share.  Here's a portion of His teaching:

30Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.31And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.32But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.33And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
A few verses later, he says this:38Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

13-year-old Kyle Bradford of Weaverville, California, wasn't that hungry in the school lunchroom that day, but he had a classmate who wasn't too keen on the cheese sandwich that he had received.   So, Kyle decided to share his chicken burrito...and he was put in detention for it.

That's according to a story from KRCR-TV, which reported that the school district has regulations that prohibit students from sharing their meals.  The policies set by the district say that students can have allergies that another student may not be aware of.  Superintendent Tom Barnett of the Trinity Alps Unified School District is quoted as saying, "We have a policy that prohibits students from exchanging meals. Of course if students are concerned about other students not having enough to eat we would definitely want to consider that, but because of safety and liability we cannot allow students to actually exchange meals."

Kyle's mother, Sandy Bradford, says she thinks that her son did the right thing by sharing his lunch. She also believes that it isn’t up to the school to discipline her son for good manners.

“By all means the school can teach them math and the arithmetic and physical education, but when it comes to morals and manners and compassion, I believe it needs to start at home with the parent,” Sandy said.

Kyle says that he would definitely share his lunch again if a friend wanted a portion of his meal.

OK, I think a school has the right to enforce its rules, and in the effort to maintain order and good discipline, the school district has some policies in place.  To me, the punishment certainly doesn't seem to fit the crime, but I do see the district's position here - if you have a policy, it needs to be enforced.  

But, I want us to think together about the concept of sharing.  I can't say whether or not Kyle knew it was against the rules to share his burrito, but he did see another classmate who didn't like his cafeteria food and shared some of his own.  I think as parents, we like for our children to not be selfish and to share.   That's one of those important, basic principles.

Selfishness keeps us from observing the needs or desires of others and moving in a definitive way.  I think that we could perform some self-evaluation in the department of intuitively sharing with others. One step we can take is to develop a dependency on the Holy Spirit to give us a sensitivity to people around us - there may be something that we can share with someone else - and not necessarily something physical; it could be time, a listening ear, a moment to empathize with someone instead of just focusing attention on ourselves.  Our willingness to break free from a cocoon of selfishness can perhaps lead to an opportunity to share something, which becomes a ministry opportunity, a chance to demonstrate the love of Jesus.

We can also prepare for the risks or inconveniences of sharing.  Kyle ran the risk of detention; and maybe he didn't consciously think about it at the time.  Our willingness to share may result in the temporary alteration of something in our lives; there may be some sort of cost to us as we step outside our comfort zone.  But, in sharing, we are activating the love of Christ to operate through us, and God could do an amazing work in the life of someone else.  It could happen - just by our being willing to share!