Charity does not make a show of religious worship or godly duties to gain praise. Jesus makes this point in the sermon on the mount in which he warned against giving alms and making a spectacle of praying “to be seen of men.” (Matthew 6:2-5)

Charitable religious practice is faithful devotion to God that is driven by love. As such, charity seeks to praise and honor God through unselfish commitment to obey Him.

The narrative of Ananias and Sapphira is an example of God's disapproval when we seek to make serving Him about ourselves. They sought personal praise and honor by giving a portion of money from the sale of their property to the church while falsely indicating their gift was the entire amount of the sale (See Acts 5:1-11). Both died as a result of their glory-seeking dishonesty. From this we can understand, at the least, uncharitable glory-seeking is cause for God to cut-off fellowship.

Self-pity is also a method of self-seeking of which God disapproves. The narratives of God's conversations with Jonah and Elijah indicate how self-pity causes us to engage in irrational thinking, draw false conclusions and exercise poor judgment. Jonah, always the reluctant servant, became angry with God and with self-pity wished himself dead because he resented God showing mercy to penitent Ninevites. God responded by growing a gourd to shade the prophet but then removed it. He did so to show how out-of-order were Jonah's priorities in that he had more pity for the gourd (and by its use for his own comfort) than he did for God's children in Nineveh (See Jonah Chapter 4).

In the case of Elijah, in fear for his life by threats from Jezebel, the prophet fled into the wilderness and hid in a cave. In self-pity, he then called on God to take his life. When confronted by God, self-pity led Elijah to rashly exaggerate that the “children of Israel” had “slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left.” (See 1 Kings 19:10) (This claim was incorrect. 1 Kings 18:4 indicates Obadiah saved one hundred of God's prophets.) God's response indicates He does not indulge self-pity. He told Elijah to leave the cave and do as He commanded (See 1 Kings 19:14:19)

Psalms 42:5 teaches us the proper reaction when we are tempted to indulge in self-pity is to focus on hope in God. "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance." Moreover, doing so enable us to "glory in tribulations (See Romans 5:3) and "greatly rejoice" despite "heaviness through manifold temptations" (See 1 Peter 1:6).

Charity does not seek its own by pursuing happiness through selfish pleasures. Doing so is idolatry in that its commitment is to serve the creature more than the creator (See Romans 1:25). Paul characterizes those who do so as ungrateful, foolish and dishonest (See Romans 1:21,22,25). In similar fashion Solomon also rejects self-serving pleasure seeking. “I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 1:17-2:1)

Charity's pleasure is found in seeking to please God through devotion and obedience and by ministering to others according to his will. In this, believers experience happiness as joy accompanied by peace, which we enjoy as contentment. Abiding contentment is experienced through faith and good works by the strengthening power of Christ. “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (See Philippians 4:11-13).

The narrative contained in Acts 5:26-42 provides an example of what joy and peace accompanies devotion to God and serving others. The reaction by Apostles when they were beaten and commanded to stop preaching the gospel was to rejoice and to obey God by continuing to preach and minister to God's children. “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” (Acts 5:41-42)

The great gain believers receive from godly contentment (See 1 Timothy 6:6) is glorious and unspeakable joy as "receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." (See 1 Peter 1:8-9). Regarding which, through devotion to God and by ministering to others, we are blessed to experience the full assurance and a strong consolation of the hope of the resurrection at Jesus second coming.

Charity “is not easily provoked.” Charity does not have a short fuse. It does not flare by responding to provocations with sinful immediate anger. It is not sensitive to slights, not easily offended and it does not keep score of offenses. Therefore, it does not “make a man an offender for a word” (See Isaiah 29:21, Mark 4:17). Neither is charity provoked to claim vengeance as just prerogative when provoked. Rather, charity turns her cheek to slight, gives up her cloak, and walks the extra mile (See Matthew 5:39-41).

When faced with provocations, the normal course of charity is to peaceably and quietly endure as Jesus' teaches in Matthew 5. Other times charity avoids responding in kind by seeking godly resolutions.

An example of the latter is seen in Abraham's reaction to Lot's abuse of grazing privileges the patriarch granted his nephew's cattle. Abraham responded to contention over grazing privileges between Lot's servants and Abraham's by reminding Lot they were brethren and thus should not fight with one another. He then graciously suggested their herds be separated and allowed Lot to choose which pastures his cattle would graze (See Genesis 13:7-9). It is telling point that the whole narrative of their dispute and its resolution is contained in just three sentences! Its presence and brevity suggest charity does take notice of provocations but does not allow them to distract us from charity's committed devotion to God and to loving others.

King Saul's repeated attempts to kill David and David's restraint show how believers can endure provocation. It also presents the stark contrast that exists between the quick and irrational response to provocations (real or imagined) by man's fallen nature and the charitable reactions of our born-again selves when we are provoked. Moreover, it attests to the power of charity to resist the most extreme provocations inasmuch as Saul provoked David by attempting to kill him! The irrationality of Saul's fallen-nature jealousy provoked reactions toward David is apparent in that he sought to kill his servant who was doing the best job of preventing the Philistines from harming Israel and Saul in particular! David's responded to Saul's repeated attempts to kill him with devotion to God, which is why charity is not easily provoked. When opportunity presented for David to kill Saul he told his followers, “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.” (1 Samuel 24:6)

The loving example of Jesus Christ perfectly illustrates how charity is not easily provoked. Despite constant provocations by sinful opposition and His horrible suffering and death at Calvary, our charitable Savior did not respond with hatred and malice. Instead, in devotion to the Father and with love for us, He said “Father, forgive them.” His endurance against such great and constant provocation attests to the power of charity whose design and power proceed from “... the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” (See Romans 13-36)

The Hebrew writer thus points to Jesus as our model for responding to provocations that come about from besetting sin and heavy burdens. We avoid sinful responses to provocations by “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”



“Love is of God” concludes in the January Issue.