More blessed to give than to receive


Last week I questioned how we could improve our little office prayer group. This begs the question – what is the prayer group for? If you recall, the answer from my very first mail is: pray lah!

Over the past 6 months, I think I’ve refined my thoughts about this. I’ve emphasized the importance of living the Christian life outside church and the cell group. Church and small groups are for recharging and equipping. They are very important, but practical Christian living is really to be found in our homes and our workplaces.

Since the group is meant for recharging and equipping, this is what we should do – encourage and pray for each other when we meet. How do we do this? By sharing our lives and spurring each other to live exciting lives for Jesus AFTER THE MEETING IS OVER. I think we have been making a fair attempt at this. So why aren’t we more inspired, more active, more empowered?

Well, there are two sides to the equation. First, the recipients must be willing to be changed. All of us who listen and attend must be prepared to respond to God’s word and the exhortation He sends through His saints. Then there’s the other side of the equation. The teacher/encourager must marry love with authority (more on this later). All of us have a role to play in teaching and encouraging each other. After we DECIDE to do so, we then have to make sure we are effective.

I realize that I have not been as effective as I should be. Why? Because I have not married love with authority. Let's take an analogy. A parent is always the most effective change agent for his/her children. Why? Because he has maximum love and maximum authority. Less effective is the teacher, who (usually) has less love but as much authority. Least effective is the policeman who (again, usually) has little love, but maximum authority. In order to inspire visible change in our fellow brothers and sisters, we need to effectively marry love and authority. And it is often easier to exert authority than express love. So this is something that I intend to work on in the coming months. How? By getting to know all of you better, so that I can be in a position to meet felt needs, rather than preaching in vacuo.

Moving on to a related topic, which is giving. Again, there are two sides to the equation for giving. From the recipient's point of view, the gift is welcome, even an answer to prayer. From the giver's perspective, it is an opportunity to join in the events that flow from the act of giving. What do I mean? Let me demonstrate with what was shared at my church sermon.

In Gen 24 Abraham's servant went to find a bride for Isaac. He prayed that God would lead him to the right place and that someone would give him and his camels water. Rebekah was God's answer to the servant's prayer. In this instance, the servant was the recipient of the gift. Rebekah was the giver. But look at how Rebekah's own life changed as a result of her giving - she was given the opportunity to join the house of Abraham and Isaac, and eventually be grandmother to a mighty nation.

Another example. In 1 Kings 17:7-24, the widow at Zarephath was starving and had nothing left, yet she gave her last bit of food to Isaiah. In that instance, Isaiah was the recipient of the gift. But look at the widow's own life after giving - her flour and oil never ran dry and when her son died, he was restored to her.

Matthew 10:8 instructs us "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. FREELY YOU HAVE RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE."

We know that we are recipients of God's grace. We have received His forgiveness, His financial blessing, His blessings for our family. He has provided us with life, health, homes, children, friends, pastors and teachers. Freely we receive these things, as if they were our birthright. It is a rare person who will say, for example, "O Lord wait until I am ready to be rich. Only then bless me with finances". So if we RECEIVE gifts unconditionally, we have no excuse not to GIVE unconditionally as well.

We know that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Paul says "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 10:35 We see the evidence of this in the testimony of Rebekah, the widow at Zarephath and many others.

Let our model be Jesus, who said "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom to many." Mark 10:45

Today, let's start to give, and then enjoy the ride as God's good purpose drives us along blessed new paths.

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