In MY name

Bulletins

Brian Nielsen
07/28/24 - General

When doing a favor, big or small, for someone, especially a stranger, and as I walk away I hear them say "isn't he a nice guy," then maybe I haven't truly done my job.

While I try to do acts of kindness frequently these days, I sometimes have remembered only part of Mark 9:41 when Jesus said, "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

We should not forget the "In My name" portion of that verse. Or also the warning about "lose his reward." I especially should have a ready reply to anyone saying thank you for the cup of water or other kind acts. I can tell how I spent many foolish years being too selfishly tunnel-visioned to even notice you needed help or I was simply too hateful and cold-hearted to care, but now the Lord has welcomed me back into His loving arms and has me wanting to serve His children. Even one who doesn't have such a shameful past can use this opportunity to tell someone God loves them and is using Christians to help people He loves.

If the only reaction from someone is to thank and praise me, my reward will be shortlived as Jesus said in Matthew 6:1, "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by men. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven."

Since James 1:17 reminds us that everything good we have originates from God anyway, we should reflect that and follow 1 Corinthians 1:31 -- "that, as it is written, 'He who glories, let him glory in the lord.' "

If we like providing someone help but feel uncomfortable bringing up God and our Savior Jesus Christ, this might be a normal part of human nature. But we humans need to think about Matthew 10:32-33 and Jesus saying, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."

(Scripture quotes are from the NKJV)