Generosity can change a life...yours!
By Peter DeWitt
In Galatians 2:10 Paul said James, Peter, and John "desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do."
Jesus said "For the poor you have with you always." That means we will always have an opportunity to show mercy and generosity.
Proverbs 19:17 says “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.” When we have pity on the poor, we make a loan to God and God doesn't default.
Proverbs 14:21 says “He who despises his neighbor sins; but he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.” It's easy to love the lovable. But when we have mercy on the poor, we are made HAPPY!
Prov. 21:13 says “Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard.” We cannot individually minister to every need, but when Holy Spirit draws your ear to a cry, you can allow your heart to be soft to it.
Finally Proverbs 29:7 says “The righteous considers the cause of the poor, but the wicked does not understand such knowledge.”
There is a consideration (a type of gracious thinking) that is available to those who know their righteousness is ONLY by the blood of Christ. This sort of knowledge (of our right standing coming only from Christ's perfection and none of our own) will cause us to love the least without disdain and the greatest with no regard to their fame. Remember "The rich and the poor have this in common, the Lord is the maker of them all." (Prov. 22:2)
Just before the verse in Galatians about James, Peter, and John desiring "only that we should remember the poor..." we read about the grace given Paul, Peter, James, and John. It's in the context of the GREAT grace upon their lives that they emphasize remembering the poor. The greater the grace upon your life, the more important generosity becomes.
In Galatians 2:10 Paul said James, Peter, and John "desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do."
Jesus said "For the poor you have with you always." That means we will always have an opportunity to show mercy and generosity.
Proverbs 19:17 says “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.” When we have pity on the poor, we make a loan to God and God doesn't default.
Proverbs 14:21 says “He who despises his neighbor sins; but he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.” It's easy to love the lovable. But when we have mercy on the poor, we are made HAPPY!
Prov. 21:13 says “Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard.” We cannot individually minister to every need, but when Holy Spirit draws your ear to a cry, you can allow your heart to be soft to it.
Finally Proverbs 29:7 says “The righteous considers the cause of the poor, but the wicked does not understand such knowledge.”
There is a consideration (a type of gracious thinking) that is available to those who know their righteousness is ONLY by the blood of Christ. This sort of knowledge (of our right standing coming only from Christ's perfection and none of our own) will cause us to love the least without disdain and the greatest with no regard to their fame. Remember "The rich and the poor have this in common, the Lord is the maker of them all." (Prov. 22:2)
Just before the verse in Galatians about James, Peter, and John desiring "only that we should remember the poor..." we read about the grace given Paul, Peter, James, and John. It's in the context of the GREAT grace upon their lives that they emphasize remembering the poor. The greater the grace upon your life, the more important generosity becomes.
The Lord spoke to my heart last night "Generosity can change a life - yours!"
Only God could create a simple act that is so easy to do, yet so profound in its impact. When we give we are blessed by God in return. When we give it deepens our trust in God and removes trusting in Mammon or our ability to provide for ourselves. When we give we get to actively serve and bless the lives of others - not just by the actual gift that we give them, but also by the love we communicate.
And then, as though that wasn't already enough, we may hear back from those we've given to about what it has meant to them!
Thank you Jesus for modeling generosity in giving your very self for us!
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