7 "If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother,
8 but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs.
9 Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, 'The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,' and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the Lord against you, and it become sin among you.
10 You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand.
Right motives yield right actions. In this passage, we see instruction about being compassionate toward others, opening up our hearts as God would intend. There is a warning about possessing an improper motivation, as well, which can close our hearts and cut off the flow of compassion. The Bible instructs us to be cheerful givers, to enjoy serving, not checking off a box, but checking our hearts to make sure we are allowing the Spirit to move through us.
Jesus calls us to love without expecting anything in return. In Luke 6, He teaches:
32 But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.
A man from Huntsville, Alabama has inspired people in every single state because of his willingness to serve and perform an act of kindness - to mow a lawn.
His name is Rodney Smith, Jr. and he just completed a tour of all 50 states, mowing lawns for veterans for free. According to ABC News:
Smith states that: "My true purpose in life is helping people."
There are some simple principles that we can keep in mind as we consider Rodney's story. First of all, we recognize that we are called to live a life of love. We have been given amazing capacity to love others because of the love that Christ has shown to us.
And, He calls us to look outside ourselves. We can be so consumed with our own perceived needs that we lose sight of the world around us. We have been placed for a purpose, and God wants us to continue to grow and develop a propensity to love.
We can remember to lock into simple opportunities for service. Rodney Smith Jr. is encouraging young people to give of themselves, without expecting anything in return. The Christian life is not transactional, in the sense that we only love those who love us or give with strings attached; no, it is transformational, as we seek to walk in God's radical love for humanity, which was expressed by His sending His Son to die for us.
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Jesus calls us to love without expecting anything in return. In Luke 6, He teaches:
32 But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.
A man from Huntsville, Alabama has inspired people in every single state because of his willingness to serve and perform an act of kindness - to mow a lawn.
His name is Rodney Smith, Jr. and he just completed a tour of all 50 states, mowing lawns for veterans for free. According to ABC News:
He said he got the inspiration for the project almost five years ago, when he was pursuing his bachelor's degree and searching for purpose in his life.Five years ago, he was driving in Huntsville and saw an elderly man who was "struggling" to cut his grass. Rodney said, "It looked like he was struggling, so I pulled over and helped him," adding, "That's when I got my goal to mow lawns for free for the elderly, single moms and veterans."
"I remember asking God to use me as his vessel," he said.
But he didn't keep it to himself; he got young people involved in these acts of service. The story says:
He started the "50 Lawn Challenge," encouraging young people in their communities to go out there and help those who might struggle with their yardwork on their own by mowing 50 lawns.
"A few months later, we went viral on the internet," he added. ABC News first reported on his efforts in 2017.
"Currently, we have about 400 kids nationwide that are taking part in the 50 Yard Challenge," he said.He went to all 50 states the previous two years, and his 2019 efforts were centered on veterans.
Smith states that: "My true purpose in life is helping people."
There are some simple principles that we can keep in mind as we consider Rodney's story. First of all, we recognize that we are called to live a life of love. We have been given amazing capacity to love others because of the love that Christ has shown to us.
And, He calls us to look outside ourselves. We can be so consumed with our own perceived needs that we lose sight of the world around us. We have been placed for a purpose, and God wants us to continue to grow and develop a propensity to love.
We can remember to lock into simple opportunities for service. Rodney Smith Jr. is encouraging young people to give of themselves, without expecting anything in return. The Christian life is not transactional, in the sense that we only love those who love us or give with strings attached; no, it is transformational, as we seek to walk in God's radical love for humanity, which was expressed by His sending His Son to die for us.
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