daily java

Daily Java: Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.  (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

There is a generosity that is present in the child of God that the world doesn’t understand.

Whenever people in the world see Christians involved in charity work, whatever it may be, they automatically suspect that the Christians are trying to proselyte people. They cannot believe that the children of God can possibly be doing anything but good.

And sadly enough the world would rather people die hungry or go without medical attention than have Christians do it in the name of God.

When it comes down to it, when Christians do stuff like feeding or helping, it is simply because Jesus told us to. We know that God gave us grace in great measure, so we want to give back. We also know that the mark of Christians is giving, so we give. And we know that the more we give, the more God gives  to us.

We do it cheerfully because God gave cheerfully out of his bounty to us. We do it not reluctantly or under compulsion because it was given so freely to us.

In other words, Christians are givers. It is a fact that Christians give far more than their worldly counterparts. And the most amazing part of it is we do it on top of other stuff we give.

We give out of a giving heart recognizing what we have been given. Grateful people always are more giving.

Will people take advantage of you? Yes, they will. Does it mean you stop giving? No.

Case in point: Jesus healed ten lepers in Luke 17. Of the ten, only one came back to say thank you. Jesus asked where the nine were that were also healed. Probably they were running like crazy to do what he said – show themselves to the high priest. Only one recognized that Jesus was the source of it and thanked him.

Jesus didn’t take back the healing because people were ungrateful. He left it as it was. He did what he did out of love, not the need for recognition. That was his nature. He gives that nature to us. We give without really wanting the recognition. Nothing wrong with the recognition, of course, but if we just do it for that reason, Jesus said we are no better than the hypocrites.

What we do we do through love, just as God gave Jesus and Jesus gave his life.

And the more we give, the more we get. We might not get stuff like we want, necessarily, but a giving spirit never hurt anyone. It makes the giver better, more open, more loving, more aware of what he or she has in the first place.

Personally, I want to be a giver.