Refuse no one the good on which he has a claim
when it is in your power to do it for him.
Say not to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
tomorrow I will give,” when you can give at once. (Prv 3:27-28)
Withholding.
That is one of the things that we often do so well.
We withhold love. We withhold acceptance. We withhold support. We withhold an entire list of things and usually do so in the name of control.
If we withhold, we make someone more dependent upon us. We exert control over that person. We destroy any equality that should exist among us.
Equality?
Yes.
We are, after all, brothers and sisters in the Lord, are we not? Being brothers and sisters in the Lord, no one should set himself above anyone else. Instead, we need to do all that we can do to come to the aid of another.
And, as the Book of Proverbs suggests, that aid should be immediate. There should be no strings attached. There should be no waiting period.
God loves us incredibly. He created us in His image and likeness. Even when we turned our backs on Him, He did not leave us astray. He sent His Son, who loved us so much that He would die on the cross for us.
All with no strings attached.
Let us love as the Lord loves.
FAITH ACTION: Is there anyone whom we have been refusing to help or delaying aid? Go to that person today and help to supply that person’s need.