I think of Ananias and Sapphira this week.  They had such good examples of sacrifice and helping others.  Yet, they still chose to be deceptive and selfish.  We aren’t told in Acts 5 why they were selfish.  It could be that they felt that they couldn’t be as generous as others.  They may have felt afraid to give all.  Perhaps they wondered how they would care for their own needs if they gave their money away.  Yes, they could have struggled with old-fashioned greed.  We don’t know the why.  We just know the what – they lied about their generosity and were disciplined by God for it.

 

What about us?  Are we tempted to give a false impression of how much we reach out to others?  Do we even deceive ourselves about it?  It is certainly easy to do.  We make excuses, plan things that we don’t follow through on, and exagerrate our involvement with others. Sometimes, we even blame the hurting or struggling for why we don’t reach out.

 

It is time for the church to quit all that.  It is time for the people who claim to serve the Lord Jesus to truly reach out to others when there is need.  No more is sticking our head in the sand acceptable behavior.  We must reach out.  When we do, we make a difference for today and for eternity.  Let’s do it together!

 

Something to think about,

Pastor John