Love Never Asks How Little Can I Do
When someone asked Jesus what was the greatest of the commandments, He replied, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." We would all probably admit that we don't love Him like that. Nevertheless, it is the greatest of the commandments. When Jesus appeared to John on the Isle of Patmos, he dictated 7 letters to the 7 churches in Asia. The first one was directed to the church of Ephesus where he told them, "I have this against you, that you have left your first love."
Recently, I was blessed and challenged by a devotion written by George H. Morrison, a man who had been a pastor in Scotland many years ago. You can find his devotions on E-Sword or elsewhere on the Internet. He talked about the lavishness of God and how much He has loved us. One example that he used was of the prodigal son found in Luke 15. This young man had squandered his inheritance with prodigal living. When his money was all gone, he was able to get a job feeding swine. He became so desperate and hungry that he tried to eat the pig's food. It was then that he remembered his father's house. He decided to go back home and ask his father for forgiveness, and if possible, a job as a servant! He was not only forgiven, but received a kiss from his father, a robe, a ring, new shoes, and a homecoming party! This is an example of how God loves us. He does "exceedingly above all that we ask or think!"
In the devotion, Morrison makes the statement that, "love never asks how little can I do." Love never haggles, it never bargains. I remember an example of a couple that was going to the mission field. Apparently they had a nice home in the U.S. and the wife was having trouble giving it up. She made her husband promise that if she went to the mission field, he would get her a house as nice as the one that she had left. I don't mention it to condemn her for it, but to show that sometimes we want to haggle or bargain or do as little as possible. Love never asks how little can I do.
We probably all know the saying, "Hey, it's the least I can do!" It's a polite answer to someone who thanks you, usually when you feel you should do more to help. Here's an example:
"Thanks for sweeping the floor," to which a person would respond, "It's the least I can do, seeing as how I'm staying here rent-free." I used that saying one day after a fellow missionary had thanked me for something that I had done. He then replied, "What's the MOST that you can do?" We all had a good laugh at his wittiness, but that conversation has stuck with me ever since. What's the most I can do? Jesus praised the poor widow when she had given the two mites which was "all that she had, her whole livelihood." What's the most that I can do?
"If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him!" - C.T. Studd, misionary
