Capacity to give

James 2:1-4

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.

Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.

If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

In the development world we (are instructed to) think in terms of the "big hitters" or the ones with capacity to give. When we focus on the larger donors we are efficient with the use of our time and have, as it were, greater productivity.

This philosophy presupposes that the "most valuable" donors are those who can or do give the largest amounts. While the school (or other organization that we represent) deserves our best efforts, I wonder how the Lord sees this work.

What really comes into play is the idea of ministry. Does the school see donors as a "necessary evil" that we must engage with because our own finances are inadequate? Or, are we convinced that, like the body of Christ, we are designed for meaningful connections, which goes deeper than a simple monetary transaction?

While most schools would say, "Of course we care about our donors more than their current capacity to fund our program", our actions may tell a different story. James warns us about judging with evil thoughts. It looks like we are guilty if we look only at the externals and not at the heart and soul of the person who God has brought us into relationship with.

OK, so what does this look like in practice? I suggest the following:

1. Look at our own hearts. Do we truly love ALL of God's people - would others confirm this assessment?

2. Can we genuinely celebrate the smallest (the mites) gifts and those who give them?

3. Do we act on that celebration by investing time and prayer with these friends?

The tyranny of the urgent is always nipping at our heels. But our Lord is also placing people in our lives who (although externally poor) have a richness that needs to be affirmed and encouraged.

Can you remember the last time you welcomed the poor stranger?