Share What You Have

4 Feb

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have;
God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.  (Heb 13:16)

It is not rocket science.  Pleasing God is not something that involves convoluted charts and graphs.  It does not take an inordinate amount of time and blood and sweat and tears.  It does not mean having to radically alter ones life.

It merely involves sharing.

Gee, where have we heard that before?  Why, let us begin with kindergarten.  It was there that we first learned all about sharing.  We learned that sharing helped us to fit in, to belong to the group.  We learned that sharing could be fun.  We learned that sharing not only meant giving up something of ours but also included receiving something from others.  We also learned that it was not hard or painful.

As we grow up, though, we change.  We often turn from sharer to hoarder.  We no longer want to give.  We just want to get, to take, to possess.

God is a giver.  He gives us all sorts of gifts:  wonderful gifts, marvelous gifts.  As He does so, He asks us to share them with others.  The reasons are the same as we learned in kindergarten: so that we can take care of one another, so that we can fit in, so that we can be a part of the group.

The group, in particular, is the family of God.  We all belong to one another.  Since we do, we need to care for one another.

If we look out for one another’s needs, if we care about each other, if we provide for all people, God is very pleased.

FAITH ACTION:  Whatever you can share with others today, do so willingly, generously, and gratefully.