Thought- What you get makes a living; what you give makes a life.
Scripture– “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” – Proverbs 11:24-25
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35
Insight: In day 13 of learning to apply biblical principles to our daily life, what we are referring to as Practical Christianity, let’s consider what it means to be generous in all we do. When we think of biblical generosity, we should think of three main areas: our time, talent, and treasure. Many people when they think of generosity, they think of giving money to those less fortunate, and that is certainly a calling to those who are led by the Spirit and have the means to help others. But often we are called to generously give of our time and our talents. Sometimes a kind word is all that is required. Other times, we may be prodded to invest time in building something that is required for a group’s survival such as a house or teaching a language or playing with abandoned children. Many times, our talents may be needed to help people learn how to acquire certain skills necessary for their survival, such as cooking or using natural resources to create a sustainable life for themselves. It could be teaching them a business skill or a trade that can apply to earn money. In all situations, we must remember that Jesus knows are heart and He is thrilled when we reach out in any attempt to help the less fortunate.
We can be overwhelmed thinking about all the needs that swirl around us, but we can rest assured that we are never expected to do more than we are able. We are asked to do something, but we cannot do everything. We should never bare that burden, for it is a lie emanating from the enemy’s lips. In fact, Jesus says in Matthew 26:11 “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.” Therefore, our responsibility is to show the love of Jesus to those he brings into our path or our sphere of influence. He knows when our hearts are aligned with his, and that is all that is required. We do good to others, sharing our time, talents and treasure not out of obligation but as our response to all the good we have received from our relationship with Jesus. The world needs to know, and we need to show them Jesus. It may be the only chance they ever get to see Him through the actions of us, His hands and feet.
Prayer: Father God, thank you that we get to participate in the Kingdom of God, blessing others with the time, talents and treasure you have given us to share with those who have greater needs. Help us to be a cheerful giver, for the Bible tells in 2 Corinthians 9:7 that your love a cheerful giver when it says “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” We pray this is Jesus might name. Amen!
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