Softening the Ask

But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
1 Timothy 5:8

I cannot get it out of my mind. In a blog written by Shaun Groves yesterday, he declared, "I’m through softening the ‘ask.’ ”

What does that mean?

Traveling in Uganda, Shaun has been a witness to the horror that is abject poverty and he has likely determined that as voices for the voiceless, we must embolden our appeals for help. I certainly would agree with him.

Is this justified?

If you discover your house ablaze, are you justified in boldly seeking your neighbor’s ladder to rescue your children or his garden hose to douse the flames? Yes, of course you are justified. I submit to you that bold pleas for the lives of the thirty-thousand children who are going to die in the next 24 hours are also warranted.

What about the love?

1 Corinthians 16:14 after all does declare, “Let all that you do be done with love.” Again I submit to you that when you are pleading for the life of a child the ‘love’ is implied. Let us never confuse this type of boldness for a lack of agape.

The Ask

What if it were your kid--what would you do or say to save the life of your own child? I need you to put yourself in that scenario right now; the situation is that dire. In the time it took to type the last five words, another child has died and you need to know that his dad, or his mom is suffering just as you or I would suffer if we lost our child.

If you are reading this now you are very likely in a position to help. I’m not talking about you saving the world, but you saving one child’s life. It is that doable. Don’t buy that daily coffee, or can of soda—how can you when you know you can take that buck and save a child’s life instead.

You would almost certainly give up everything you own in order to save your child’s life—will you give up just $1 a day to save someone else’s child?

Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' Matthew 25:37-40