Giving and Believing

We have been created for the pleasure of our Creator, and recreated through our acceptance of Christ in order that we might have a relationship with God. And, through that relationship, we can see God
work through us.  Ephesians 2 says:
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Even though we didn't deserve it, God chose to bring us salvation by sending His Son into the world, to live a perfect life and become a perfect sacrifice for our sins.  We could not save ourselves, but Jesus died in our place.  By accepting Him, we invite the presence of the Holy Spirit into our hearts, and He will energize and direct us to glorify our Heavenly Father in obedience to His will.  He wants to use us to demonstrate to the world the love of Christ, Who has done a transforming work in our hearts.

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We can trust the Lord to provide opportunities, open doors, through which He manifests His love and presence.  1st Corinthians 4 says:
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

Dr. Ester Kwok is a California physician who learned that the son of one of her longtime patients was in need of a kidney transplant.  The receipt of this news began a faith journey for the doctor, who had been opposed to kidney donation for religious and cultural reasons.  In a Gospel Herald story, Dr. Kwok is quoted as saying, "I am a Christian, and I believe that God puts us in situations where he wants us to be his instruments."

She also said, "As Christians, we shouldn't just talk about helping others, but we also need to act," she said. "By acting, I'm actually internalizing and expressing what my mother taught me. What bigger way to honor what she is than act up on what she taught me?"  The story relates that prompted by Hebrews 10:38, which says, "The just shall live by faith," and backed by her husband and four children, Dr. Kwok decided to join the National Kidney Registry.

Turns out she wasn't a match for her patient's son, whose name is Jonathan Chan. But, three years later, she was alerted that through a live donor match and a 12-person donation chain, she would be able to help Chan get a new kidney. He tried to back out, telling Dr. Kwok he was concerned for her health. But the doctor persevered.

She is quoted as saying, "I told him that mine was a free gift and he needed only accept just as eternal life was a free gift that I accepted, and since I was given eternal life, then how could I not give a small part of me when asked." Dr. Kwok continued: "My motivation was this: Jesus died for me on the cross while I was yet a sinner, while I was yet a stranger..." She added, "He gave me eternal life, and how can I not then reach out to somebody to give one organ to give them more time to believe in Christ, to give them time to find grace? I've been given so much -- why not give a little back? I gave under anesthesia, but Jesus gave without anesthesia for all men. If he did this, how can I not do what God asked of me?"

Later, the doctor found out that Jonathan was on the verge of rejecting the donated kidney. Dr. Kwok recalls that she said, "Lord, I went through all of this - I never pondered that rejection might be something that would happen. Did I go through all of this for nothing?" She believed that God spoke to her, reminding her that He allowed this to happen and that she must have faith. One year later, she saw Chan again - healthy and whole.

Dr. Kwok said, "Faith is believing everything is going to be okay," adding, "I couldn't see [Mr. Chan] was going to be okay, but I felt in my heart he was going to be okay, and learning to trust in God in spite of not being able to see ahead is what faith is. I don't know God has in store for me in the future, but I know that whatever it is, I just have to walk and trust him."

This is an incredible story of faith and generosity.  And, the doctor discovered what it was like to come out of her comfort zone.  That may be one of the greatest lessons for us as believers - we can become rather static in our walk, and there may be an incident or series of circumstances that God brings our way that can challenge us to step out.  When those "stretching" opportunities come, we can be responsive to the Lord and trust Him to show us what to do next.

And, that opportunity may involve the element of helping someone else.  We can be confident that God is working in and through our lives, and He will work through willing vessels to perform His plan.  God's people working in tandem with His Spirit can accomplish tremendous things for Him.

Dr. Kwok can also help us develop a fresh perspective on giving.  One of our primary motivations for being charitable is that we possess the love of God, and by His love, our Savior gave His life for us.  So if we say we love God, then the test of that is how we respond to other people in their time of need - when we were in need of a Savior, at the right time, as the Bible says, Christ died for us.  So there's that element of sacrifice that can be a product of our faith.