16 “If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 Or have eaten my morsel alone,
And the orphan has not [g]shared it
18 (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And from [h]infancy I guided her),
19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or that the needy had no covering,
20 If his loins have not [i]thanked me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan,
Because I saw [j]I had support in the gate,
22 Let my shoulder fall from the [k]socket,
And my arm be broken off [l]at the elbow.
23 “For calamity from God is a terror to me,
And because of His [m]majesty I can do nothing.24 “If I have put my confidence in gold,
And called fine gold my trust,
25 If I have gloated because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had secured so much;
26 If I have looked at the [n]sun when it shone
Or the moon going in splendor,
27 And my heart became secretly enticed,
And my hand [o]threw a kiss from my mouth,
28 That too would have been an iniquity calling for [p]judgment,
For I would have denied God above.
What is sin? Job has given us some pretty solid examples, and we might easily rattle off: lying, cheating, stealing, murder, lust, etc. But that isn’t how the Bible defines it, when it says “to he who knows what to do, and does not do it, it is sin…” No, sin is not simply doing wicked or evil things, sin is disobeying God. It is any time we disobey God, and that’s a sobering thought.
As Job describes in vv. 16-19, if we see a good to do that God has put in our way, and we hold back our hand, that is sin. If God asks us to give to a missionary and we say we can’t afford it, then we sin. If God asks us to buy groceries for a family in need, and we don’t because we’re afraid to impose, we have sinned.
But the reason for all of this isn’t to focus on the negative, it is to do good. God asks us to feed the orphans and clothe the widows. It is to spread the good news of His love and support our missionaries any time we are able. That might look different for each of us. Some might not have any money to give, but we can each pray or serve in various ways.
Whatever it is that God is asking of you, don’t let fear or pride or anything else hold you back. Do what He asks, and you’ll find the joy of serving, the joy of generosity. God knows this joy full well with all that He has given us, and He wants us to experience it too. Choose His way and let His joy be your strength.