Matthew 10:8 “…Freely you have received; freely give.”
No Strings Attached. That’s the name of the ministry the ladies in our church embarked upon a few years ago. We made trays of goodies for the local librarians and police department. We gave out water bottles at a Fourth of July parade and handed out scotch tape to shoppers at Christmas. Our desire was to show the love of Christ through kindness. We didn’t even identify the name of our church lest someone mistake our motives. We simply included a note to the recipients telling them God loved them.
We live in a culture which has become increasingly political, so much so that it’s easy to think acts of kindness come with some ulterior motive. And if we’re honest, we sometimes fall into the same mindset. Have you ever given someone a gift and not received the expected thank you? Or maybe you’ve invested hours, days, even years in a person who rejects everything you’ve tried to impart? We can find ourselves asking, why am I doing this?
That’s a good question to ask ourselves. Are we giving to get back or are we giving to reflect the generous nature of the Lord?
When Jesus sent out his disciples, he instructed them to preach the good news of the kingdom, heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons. They were to give without any expectation of return. They had received freely from Jesus and now they were to give freely. Their job was not to build their resumes or guilt trip people into responding. If their message was accepted—good. If not, they were to move on (Matthew 10:14). No strings.
I think some people just need to be freed from the false thinking that everything comes with a price. It’s our job as followers of Christ to show them what love without strings looks like. Although we remain fallen vessels who could never purely reveal the love of God, he has deposited in each of us a deep reservoir. A reservoir of love that cost us nothing. But cost him everything (Romans 8:32).
So let’s keep pouring out that love wherever and whenever. Let’s not expect anything in return. Just a smile from a Father who delights in seeing his children do what he does.