April 10, 2025
While finally taking some time for myself, I recently spent a morning at the Center for Pastoral Leadership sitting in on a session about personal spirituality. During my time in reflection, I was given the challenge to focus on the word “charity” and where I could do more for those who need more. At first thought I felt “well what more can I do? I barely have enough hours in a day to sleep after I have done my best to serve others.” as usual, I was wrong. What came into my heart next was not a sense that I do not spend enough time being charitable, but I had to dig deep searching if I am offering myself to “be” charitable where I am needed most.
With so much going in life we can fall victim to feeling guilty for not doing MORE for others or not pushing ourselves out of our comfort-zone to do right kind of charitable deed. It enters into our psyche that we do not have enough hours to do all the things we want to do in life. But there is an aspect to charity that we rarely consider: the “dignity” in which we sacrifice or choose to be charitable. Our real problem is that we focus on the quantity and not the quality. Even more dangerous, we fall victim to offering charity on our own terms, hence missing the point of fulfilling needs of others rather than just doing it for our own selves to feel good that we are doing good.
My time is not my own and I am always struck by something Joel Osteen once said, “God will never take away time that he won’t give back if we are doing His work.” When we say yes to the call, there needs to be less complaining about how overwhelmed we are in doing the task and find acceptance in the “yes” we originally gave. We must trust to know in acting with a charitable heart rather than thinking with a charitable head, God will place us where we need to be and provide us with exactly what we need to get all of our chores and projects done.
In attempting to live a Christ-like life, I look at the relationship to charity that Jesus fulfilled and focus in on his ability to heal. It was just not that he cured ailments or physical limitations; Jesus was able to recognize “THE WAY” in which people needed to be healed. Christ didn’t just act as “the healer”, He was a “giving” extension of The Father to say, “you are not only having your sight restored but your sins are forgiven as well.” When we provide service to the less fortunate, we are not simply filling a void of clothing or offering a warm meal to make someone less hungry, we are healing their soul with a power we cannot comprehend; showing them others care and can be Christ in front of them. Even with financial aspect of charity, we get caught up and say because we have money or goods, we can just send it to make things better, when really the gift is us BEING the hands and feet of Christ right in front of the very eyes of those who need it most.
Charity is NOT a competition; charity is not a rubber stamp to say that I am a good person. It is a reflection of our recognition to answer a call where God sees us as the ones to fit into his plan. Charity is HOPE. So many times, I fall victim to looking in the mirror and saying, “Look at all the wonderful things I do for others” and God replies back saying “But is this what I asked of you?” He is calling me and all of us to take the extra step and say, “I surrender Lord, take of my talents and lead me to where they are needed the most regardless of what we think.” Take the leap and find comfort in being a charity case not for you, but for those who need you most.
Posted by Greg Wasinski
