Selfishness

Our church has been supporting the Hurricane Katrina evacuees who are living in hotels in our neighborhood. Now they have either gone back home or moved on to other places. As the pastor, I asked the church to redirect any funds they intend to give for the disaster to the missions offering for our state convention of Baptist churches.

The Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering is collected each year during September. Arkansas Baptists have already mobilized several hundred volunteers and seven disaster relief units to the coast. Our church increased the goal for the offering this year and with the hurricane relief efforts in full swing I have challenged each family to give more to the offering than ever before. We are just a little over a week into the emphasis and offerings are going great.

So the church has way more money sitting in the checking account than we need. Even if we save some back for our own emergencies, we still have plenty to help with this emergency. I asked the church for their feelings concerning making a donation to the disaster relief units of ABSC. The only verbal response was, "I think Dixie Jackson is enough."

I am so disappointed with two things: the selfishness of some in the congregation and the complacency of others who said nothing.

Heavenly Father, break our complacent hearts and selfish attitudes. Teach us to value people and their salvation rather than money and possessions. As their pastor, help me set the example. Help me present you will and truth to them. Revive us in Jesus' name!