The Phil Files

It was such an innocent request with a seemingly simple answer. “What else can I get you for you birthday?” The question was directed to my wife, Donna.

Now let me explain: birthdays are big deals around these parts, so a request like that can get one a might over committed … if you know what I mean. So as Donna thought things over for a few minutes, I waited impatiently, hoping to snag the last of my elusive birthday shopping before the rush.

“I really think I would like another child,” she said almost nonchalantly. The words hung in the hair as we pondered them. Something about the phrasing sounded humorous at first, but then the seriousness of her request tugged at both of our hearts. I knew exactly what she was talking about after a few minutes of reflection.

Now for us to have a physical child the old fashioned way is a bit over the fantasy line. Let’s just say we had several factors working against us. What Donna was talking about was sponsoring another child with Compassion International.

We were currently sponsoring two children at the time, Starlin and Doreen. They are precious to us. As Donna pointed out, “I have pretty much everything I need and I want to do something help a child who has nothing. It breaks my heart to see these little ones who have been on the waiting list so long.”

So for Donna’s birthday, we sat down and looked through children who had been on the waiting list for a sponsor more than six months. Our problem wasn’t finding a child, but having to choose from so many. How do you decide? How can you turn any of them down?

Each face tugged at our heart, but one little boy grabbed much more than our attention. He was trying to stand so straight and tall. He wore his best clothes — or maybe borrowed ones. The earnest look on his face spoke of his desire to impress someone on the other side of the camera lens. Yes, Raymond, your hope has become our gift. Thanks, little guy, for being so much more than a birthday gift. May God bless you on your journey, may Jesus be real to you in the days ahead, and please know that you are gift from God to us.

Since I was blessed to visit with one of our Compassion children in Africa this past February, we feel a special pull to this wonderful continent so full of precious children who face such deep need. So now we have our children on the other side of the world that we keep in our prayers, share messages, and help provide a future for just a little more than a dollar a day. What greater gift than this?

So please, take a look and I think you might just find a child looking for a sponsor that touches your heart and changes your world.

The comments were laced with sarcasm and cynicism. “If Jesus loves the children, then why do so many of them suffer in the world today? Did they do something in a former life that made them deserve their suffering? Oh yeah, you aren’t the ones who believe in reincarnation …”

Unjust suffering, especially the suffering of children, is a soul-searching subject and not addressed with trite slogans or easy answers. I wanted to let the guy know, however, that it was our job to bring an end to the unjust suffering of children. My words would have been wasted on him, I’m sure. He wasn’t seeking truth, he was wanting to take a jab at religion, and Christians in particular.

However, I believe the message he triggered in my heart wasn’t meant for him, but for me … and us, those who claim to be followers of Jesus. We have to be different than the religious leaders who walked by the suffering man on the road to Jericho in Jesus’ story about the “Good Samaritan” (Luke 10:25-37). We have to be people who do things God wants of us, but we have to know that the most important things he wants of us are living with “justice and the love of God” (Luke 11:42 — our daily Bible reading today is Luke 11).

I’m not sure why, but we resort so easily to practicing the tenets of our faith while losing the heart of God behind that faith. Our faith becomes a religion, focused more on the rules and regulations than on the will of God. That’s why Jesus confronted the religious host who had invited the Lord over for a meal. The Lord’s host appears to have invited him to check on how well Jesus kept the religious rules. As the religious leader discovered, Jesus didn’t do religious rules very well: the Lord was focused on the needs of people. So to the hosts unspoken criticisms, Jesus replied:

//Inspiration: Luke 11:41
But now as for what is inside of you — be generous to the poor and everything will be clean for you.

//Incarnation:
In this context, Jesus is offering a trio of attitudes to offset the stiff, religious, rule-making he encountered all around Him. Justice, love, and generosity are the three qualities of this trio. But are these three actually priorities in my life as I try to follow Jesus? Am I living these out in the way I spend my money, allocate my team, focus my teaching, work in my community, train my children, or choose a political candidate? How much does this trio command the attention of our church, our ministries, our vision, and our budget?
With the upcoming trip to Uganda with Compassion International to try to find sponsors for children in need, I feel God is giving me an international outlet to continue my growth in these precious three marks of faithfulness to the character and compassion of God. But, how I am going to reflect these priorities at home? This is a question I must answer, and not just intellectually, but in terms of how I live my daily life in my own city, neighborhood, and family!

//Invitation:
O LORD God, use your Holy Spirit to work on my heart and mold it to see people and their needs as you do. Please give me wisdom to know how I should help others in tangible ways and demonstrate your generosity, justice, and love. In Jesus’ name, and for His sake, I pray this prayer. Amen.

My Monday article in Heartlight this week talks about an upcoming trip to Uganda with Compassion International in February. I want to ask you to please take a look at the article and please be in prayer for efforts to get at least 500 children sponsored as a result of this trip!I’d love to hear back from below in response to several questions related our the trip:Do you sponsor a child with Compassion or some other group and what led you to do so? How has the experience been for you?Will you pray for Phil’s trip and the effort to get 500 children sponsored?Do you have any questions about this you would like answered?Does your church sponsor a ministry that helps children trapped in poverty or dealing with the AIDS epidemic leaving so many of them orphans?I’d love to hear back from you on this project!