If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

1 John 3:17-23

In the next three weeks, we’ll be looking at this entire passage closer. This is part 1 of a 3-part series to look at a handful of verses each week. In each week, we’ll learn how they might apply as someone who works at a nonprofit. Today, we are looking closer at the beginning of the end: How do you continue toward the finish line? Let’s look closer at the first two verses which go like this: “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

When do you know you’ve given enough? It’s a frequently asked question, especially asked of those who work in the nonprofit sector. When should someone give to a beggar at a stoplight? (See blog about How to Serve a Nonprofit Well for more on this thought). When is it appropriate to make that sacrificial gift—the one where you have to give up something in order to give something else away? Do you have to do that for everyone that asks, every nonprofit that shows a need and a pledge card?

The answer is…up to you to discover. My suggestion is to search God’s Word and your heart. I believe a gift given in gratitude is the best possible motivation, and when you give out of obligation, the gift means nothing. Love should be the cause and reason. Love is shown in action—whatever action that may be—is the evaluator. And we know that God is Love (1 John 4:7-21), so anything done in Love’s name is a fulfillment of 1 John 3:17-18.

It’s in the day-to-day loving actions that get us one step closer to finishing.

Here’s a question to ask yourself: Think about yesterday. What actions did you take out of love, and what actions did you take that were less loving? What about for your work, your local nonprofit, your community?

And, if you’d like to join in on the broader conversation about being on mission at a nonprofit, head over to Facebook @HopelesslyHopefulBooks. https://www.facebook.com/HopelesslyHopefulBooks

Next week we’ll take a peek at 1 John 3:19-20, and then wrap up with 1 John 3:21-23.

Photo by June Liu on Unsplash

© 2021, Mollie Bond. All rights reserved. Originally published at www.molliebond.org.