|
Cheerful
Givers
God
likes cheerful givers—those who give voluntarily
because they know it pleases Him and they're helping
others, expecting nothing in return. That kind of giving
can be the greatest of all pleasures, because as the
purse is emptied, the heart is filled. "The generous
soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also
be watered himself" (Proverbs 11:25). "It
is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts
20:35).
The richest people in God's kingdom are
going to be those who shared the most with Him and His.
—David
Brandt Berg
|
|
|
|
|
My
three-year-old son Manuel was playing an educational game
on the computer when his six-year-old sister Alondra demanded
that he let her have a turn. Manuel's response was typical—"I
was here first!"
I don't know where Manuel picked
that up, but it got me thinking. It's a generally accepted
principle of human society that those who "get there
first" have more rights than those who get there after
them. The first one to set foot on virgin land is entitled
to take possession of it. The first one to find a pearl in
the sea, or strike gold or oil may claim it as his own. The
first one to make a scientific discovery or invention may
patent his find and claim any profits that may result. The
first one to sit at a restaurant table has more right to it
than the fellow who arrives later. The first one to settle
in on a particular spot on the beach becomes the owner of
that spot for the day.
In my children's case, if one
of them has been playing for half an hour at the computer,
I tell him or her that it's time to let the other one have
a turn. Most other parents probably do something similar.
But if we applied that principle to every aspect of society,
there would be absolute chaos. Can you imagine a landowner
saying, "I've had this plot of land for quite a while,
so it's time to let someone else enjoy it"? Or can you
imagine a man who has a good job giving it to someone else
who is out of work and short of money?
Those examples are rather extreme,
but what about little acts of selflessness? How often do you
see people who have a seat on the bus or subway offering it
to able-bodied others who have just boarded, simply because
they look like they'd appreciate a chance to rest their weary
feet? Are little sacrifices like that too much to expect?—Or
do we fail to make them simply because we don't see anyone
else making them and no one really expects us to do so either?
It's a matter of selfishness,
when you get right down to it, and selfishness is part of
our sinful human nature. But the love of Jesus can help us
break out of that mold, overcome our selfish first reactions,
swim against the tide, and do the loving thing. Jesus said,
"Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to
borrow from you do not turn away" (Matthew 5:42 NKJ),
and "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure,
pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put
into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it
will be measured back to you" (Luke 6:38 NKJ). Those
are certainly revolutionary concepts in this day and age.
How we cling to our selfish rights! But that giving, selfless
kind of love is actually what God wanted for us all from the
beginning—and His love can help us achieve it. If we
would practice this kind of love, so many problems would disappear.
The world would be a different place. So why not try it? Give
what you can, then get ready for God to flood you with more!
|
