When do I have to return the Bible?

As he was getting his food, a young boy approached the table with free Bibles. “May I have one?” he asked, not knowing that they were free for anyone to take.

“Yes, absolutely.”

“When do I have to return it? Do I have to bring it back after I’m done eating?” Astonishingly, the boy hadn’t considered that the Word of God is free for anyone who would receive it.

To this question, the worker sitting at the table responded, “No, you don’t have to bring it back. It’s yours to keep and it’s free.” The boy walked away from the table with a smile that beamed from ear to ear, knowing that he had something new and that it was all his.

When asked about this project, people are sometimes surprised that a group of people would want to freely give of their time and money to help the community around them. We live in a city (or rather a country) that has been raised to believe that there is no such thing as a free lunch. And, while that’s true, the counter to that is free salvation.

Why do we do what we do? We do this, because people are worth it. If I left it at that, most people would say, “OK, that’s cool. Do whatever you want, if that makes you feel better about yourself.” However, the reality is that we have been given a mission from God. He isn’t content with us just saying, “We do this, because people are worth it.” Rather, He is more concerned with the way in which we bring Him glory through this action.

If this entire summer project was for the sole purpose of putting a Bible in the hands of a smiling young boy, then it was worth it!