“For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”

1 Corinthians. 4:7 (ESV) 

This passage, and several similar, is troubling to me.  Troubling in the sense that if I accept it as written then I am led to understand that whatever it is that I have has been given to me, and if this is so, why do I live and act differently than this?  Why do I act as if I’ve earned this or that?  If every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights, if, as John the baptizer says, "a person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven,” then why do I consider things I have as the things I have bought and paid for?

I know of an eldership who, when presented with a proposal from their mission’s committee about supporting some African preachers said no.  Their reason for saying no is that “they don’t support nationals.”  Their justification for that policy was/is because their support might put the nationals in a higher income bracket than their fellows around them, and that would cause jealousy.  This sounds almost reasonable.  If, however, the African preachers are children of God and the Elders are children of God, then all are brothers.  What one has he has received from THEIR Father.  Should the children not share what their Father has given them?  And should they not especially share it with their own brothers?!  Should they consider the things they have as things they have great power over because, after all, it was entrusted to them, not to their poor, poverty stricken brothers.

This is not an article meant to beat up on Elders.  It is a questioning of our – especially Americans – idea that we have earned and therefore deserve anything.  I breathe because God provides the oxygen.  I’m an American because God caused me to be born here.  I move my arms and legs because God has given me that ability.  I see and speak because God has been generous to me.  Look at this passage - Exodus 4:11 (ESV) “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?’”  Is this true?  Not is it true that God said this, but is what God said true?  If, as God says He does, He makes someone mute, deaf, seeing or blind, then the fact that I can see is because God has given this gift to me.  I could consider this a “general” gift that God gave in the creation, but that is not what the passage says.  And if it were, would it not be reasonable to assume that everyone would receive this gift?  Yet we know that there are many who are born blind, or deaf, or mute.  Who made them so?  The question I’m asking myself then is, what DO I have that I have not been given? 

Finally, all that I have been given has been given so that I might have to give to others, (Ephesians 4:28; Luke 12:48b). Those who sold houses and possessions and gave them to the Apostles to distribute to others as there was need, did God take care of them when they were old and unable to work for their keep?  Since they sold what they had and gave it away, were they acting wisely?  Were they doing the best they could do to care for their own families?  Were they not depending on God too much?  Or were they demonstrating that what they had was not their own and they were giving away only those things which they could not keep anyway?  Were they saying “I trust you Father?”

A young boy was watching as the riotous crowd dragged the old man toward the stake.  He watched as they viciously grabbed his arms, pulling them behind his back and around the stake.  Others quickly grabbed kindling and larger pieces of wood, stacking it all around the old man, who was now bound to a stake, prepared to die.  His only crime was that he believed in Jesus Christ.  A torch was brought and the wood was lit.  Whatever agony the old man suffered he bore it quietly, his head bowed in prayer.

One of the rabble noticed the wide eyed boy watching this horrendous episode of deranged humanity.  “What are you doin’ here boy?  The man growled.

“I’m learning the way,” was the boy’s response.

As for me, I’ve never made a sacrifice.  I wish I had the faith to.