Stop saying “if you need something let me know.”

Table of Contents

1. Stop saying “if you need something let me know.”
1. 0.1. The mind of Christ
2. 0.2. The early Christians
3. 0.3. Radical transformation
4. 0.4. A rebuke by Peter
   

When I was still shepherding, I used to say to my flock, “don’t say to others “if you need something, let me know,” because they won’t.” The odds are great that another Christian, even if they are your friend, is not really going to come to you and let you know they are struggling or that they have a need. This is like saying to someone struggling with addiction or suicidal thoughts, “call me” they are rarely going to call. The truth is that needs constantly surround us, and unlike Jesus and the early church, we rarely open our eyes to see them, or perhaps we don’t want to see them. I am not speaking about the needs of the general populous either. I am speaking about the needs of other Christians right in front of us. It is as if we have the same mentality as Job’s friends. We think sure there is a reason they are struggling. If a person is struggling mentally its because they have made bad decisions to put them in that place; if a person is struggling financially, it is because they do not budget or they are leaving beyond their means, if a person is struggling with relationships, it is because they do not have a proper attitude. Do you see how we blame the problem on the struggling person? We may not shame them with our words, but we sure do it mentally to justify our lack of Christlikeness. In some cases, we may even want them to struggle because, for whatever reason, we have made them our enemy, and we say to ourselves, “they deserve it,” and we somehow feel justified in our mind. 

The mind of Christ

My challenge is that none of this is the mind of Christ. Nowhere do we find this to be the attitude of Christ. Of course, someone will say, “I can’t read people’s minds like Christ seemed to do” you are right, but what about the early church? Is that what they did? Did they read minds? Or, instead, did they sell all they had and put it together to help those in need who were among them? This is found in Acts 2 and 4. They were not socialists, but they were radically generous. So radical that they went to extraordinary lengths to make sure those who were among them were taken care of. Not only that but imagine the intimacy of the early church that they were so connected that they had “all things in common” to know one another’s needs. They were so radically different from the culture around them. Are we? It would seem we look for solutions in politics and more power. However, they do not offer solutions. 

The early Christians

No one demanded the early Christians to do this. There is no command for them to do this. The apostles are not secretly telling the early church to do this. No, they freely and voluntarily gave up what they had to help others among their community of faith. They did this together as a body because they had “all things in common.” A life that is transformed by the grace of God is a life that is lived out by showing grace. I have met many “Christians” who seem to have no grace. It makes me wonder if their life has really been transformed. The gospel changes hearts and minds. Never forget that. 

Radical transformation

When someone receives Christ as their savior, something radical happens. The gospel’s impact reaches our attitude towards the things we cling to the most. Our possessions. This does not eliminate private ownership and make us socialist, nor does it mean that the church corporately owns everything, so we give it all to the church. No, it is far more reaching and far more profound than that; what is the gospel does is take our heart which was owned by something, usually our possessions, and it frees it to be owned by Christ and causes us to live a life as if we own nothing. We no longer regard what we have as ours because our heart has been transformed. People with transformed hearts do not think of their possessions as theirs; instead, they willingly and freely give up their possessions to those in need. That is heart transformation 

“Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common” (Acts 4:32 ESV). Reread it and put the emphasis on “no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own” That is is a transformed heart. 

A rebuke by Peter

This is why Peter rebuked Ananias, and the Lord struck him dead when he declared publicly that he sold his home and gave it all to the poor. The problem wasn’t that Ananias held money back. The problem was in his heart because he “secretly” held money back. This is what Peter said to him “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God” (Acts 5:4 ESV).

Did you see how Peter exposed his heart? Ananias had a deceitful, selfish heart, and that was the problem, and it cost him his life. This is what the gospel changes. Being a socialist does not fix the problem, nor does being a “democratic socialist,” nor does hoarding our possessions to pass along to our adult children who do not need them. Politics is not the solution; power is not the solution; new laws are not the solution. Hearts changed by the gospel is the only solution because a heart changed by the gospel knows what is mine is not mine at all, and that is the heat that lives a radically generous life that is the only way anyone will ever think of others before they think of themselves, causing them to give freely of what they have to help others. So don’t say, “if you need anything, let me know” just open your eyes and live the life God has called us to live a life that is radically generous that sees a need and meets the need because you have the means to do so even and do it in such an extravagant and radical fashion the God is glorified, and the world is mystified at the audacity of these radical Christians. This is what we are called to individually and corporately. Oh, that we would loosen our grip on our possessions, or should I say that they would loosen their grip on us? What a message for Christmas.