The story is told of a successful, wealthy and kindhearted professional athlete who entered a major tournament, won first place, and was consequently awarded a large cash prize. A few days later, when the awards ceremony was over, the athlete left the banquet room—grand-prize check in hand and walked to his car in the parking lot. On his way, a young woman approached him. Congratulating him on his victory, she broke down into tears, telling him about her baby who was critically ill, near death. She spoke of the medical treatment the little one needed and her grief at watching her baby die because she couldn’t afford the necessary care.
After listening to her, the athlete, touched by her account, took out a pen and, endorsing his winning check, handed it to the woman, saying, “Get your baby the medical care it needs.”
The next day he was having lunch in a restaurant when one of the tournament officials stopped at his table. Describing the young woman, he asked, “Is it true that you were talking to her in the parking lot yesterday?”
The athlete nodded and recounted the woman’s story and what he had done for her.
“Well,” said the official shaking his head sadly, “I’ve got bad news for you. That woman’s a con-artist. She has no sick, dying baby, she has no medical needs—in fact, she has no children at all! She’s come around here before, and others have been taken in by her phony story too. I’m sorry to have to tell you that she fleeced you out of a lot of money.”
The athlete frowned and stared at the floor. Then, looking back at the official, he said slowly, “You mean there really isn’t any sick baby who’s dying?”
“That’s right,” said the official.
The athlete paused, then continued with a big smile, “That’s the best news I’ve heard all week!”
Believers are not to be “overcome of evil,” but are to “overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:2121Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)). We are passing through a hostile wilderness where there is much to discourage and turn aside—much that would cause our love to become cold. But we are to consider our perfect pattern—the Lord Jesus Christ, who “endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself.” Thus we will be kept from becoming spiritually “wearied and faint” (Heb. 12:33For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. (Hebrews 12:3)).
And though Christians are to be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:1616Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. (Matthew 10:16)), let us never allow the shallowness and callousness of this Christ-rejecting world to dictate the outflow of love which ought to characterize us. “See that none render evil for evil unto any. . . . Ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men” (1 Thess. 5:1515See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. (1 Thessalonians 5:15)).
Ed.