“The lame man looked at them eagerly expecting some money. But Peter said, ‘I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!’ Then Peter took the lame man by the hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.”
- Acts 3:5-8
Since I can be either a little dense or distracted, one of the most important questions I can ever ask my wife is “what do you need from me?” I ask because I can struggle to know what I need to prioritize at the moment to help her feel most loved and heard. I need to ask it because only then am I in a place to give her my undivided attention, I know I got a lot to learn and grow in but that question is so helpful.
When it comes to helping others spiritually or when trying to serve others evangelistically, we are often also asking, “what do they need from me?” However, that becomes a bit problematic because I’m about to say something a bit controversial…
People don’t need Christians.
Generally speaking, people don’t need Christians. They do not need our time, our money, our skills, at least not any more than they need it from anyone else who can provide it. People don’t need Christians.
Savior-complex:
Whenever someone talks about needing to be like Jesus, they do not mean to be like a Savior like Jesus. None of us could ever possibly achieve that, and yet many Christians can develop a savior-complex. As if those in the world NEED them, specifically, and that they are the only ones who can truly help.
In turn, these savior-complex people try to live in such a way they try to outdo others in their serving and giving. They recklessly give money away, overspend their time, and can do a lot more harm to the community they are serving than good. This has been clearer than ever when it comes to short-term missions.
Some short-term mission assignments are really good and drastically needed, like medical missions or crisis relief. Other ways they are good is if the church builds a lasting relationship with that community and sends people regularly. However, most other kinds of short-term missions have a temporary impact, build a little relationship, and mostly just give someone a lot of nice international photos, all while the true needs go unmet. All this is to say, we need to be wise in how we do missions, because…
People don’t need Christians.
Grace:
To clarify, people don’t need Christians because what they need is Christ. They need God’s grace. As Christians, we do not serve people because of materials, but because of grace. If the words we speak and the work we do is void of grace then we need to stop and learn how to prioritize grace!
Peter and John did this spectacularly. They have gone to the temple numerous times with Jesus, and as such, they have probably seen this man before. The man couldn’t walk so his friends or family would take him to different places he would be allowed to go and ask for money since he couldn’t work. The man needs money, food, and clothes. Peter and John theoretically could give him some, but choose not to, because they know of his higher need.
To clarify, his higher need isn’t even to walk, but to be able to draw close to God through the announced grace of Christ. The man, since he was lame, could not enter the temple, but had to stay outside at the gate known as Beautiful. This man was barred from getting too close to God, but Christ, who has not only extended saving grace but also provided the healing and strength to his legs has made a way for him to draw near to God.
So Peter and John do not offer money, food, or clothes, but they offer this man Christ. Christ is the only thing Christians can offer to the world that no one else can. That is why the world does not need Christians with savior-complexes but the grace that comes from Christ.
Grace is not just there in a moment, but it also walks with us. The grace that saves is the same grace that sustains Christians in their walk with Christ. This provides us a beautiful image to work with those who need grace over a long period of time, and not just until they repent and turn to Christ. Notice how Peter and John helped the man up and walked with him? Even helping to carry him into the temple space, which is essentially helping him walk his way toward God. We must be able and willing to do the same. Not like we are their parents but as their brothers and sisters who help them to the Father.
So I will repeat it again, the world does not need Christians… they need Christ.
Final Blessing:
As Christians, we need to prioritize grace. Grace in both how we speak and how we act. We need to filter through the muck of life and all the news our media presents to us through the Good News, that Christ has made it possible to draw near to God. I encourage you to read the rest of Acts 3 to see Peter preach about Christ and His grace to the Jews who gather around him.
Now may the Lord of Life and Redemption be with you in every step, every breath, and every heartbeat of your journey.
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