On Giving Gifts
“Each of you should give
what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you
abundantly, 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
Perhaps now,
more than ever, the significance of this passage may hit close to home. The
world appears splintered and fragmented, with confusion and pressures seemingly
feeding an ever-growing divisiveness. Indeed, fear and uncertainty encourage
closure. However, what manner of resolution should these circumstances inspire?
Those who have much may opt to give material gain, however, the essence of
God’s blessings is universal in its affect. After all, a candle loses nothing
by lighting another.
Perhaps giving
time, talents, and resources in openness and without reservation is worthy of
consideration. “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed
down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with
the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38). Matthew has
written “freely you have received, freely given” (Mathew 10:8). And a cheerful
giver is blessed with what they truly require. Gifts from God are truly the
treasures of Heaven. Surely, where such treasure lies, the heart will also be.
Seeds that are
not sown become potential that cannot be reaped. Perhaps, under such
conditions, it is conceivable to consider such potential as stagnancy. Our
gifts from God are our special ways to participation in creation and so too are
these seeds the gifts of God. Small and delicate at the start, but when
nurtured, they grow magnificently. Grow these gifts to their fullest and return
unto creation that which has been freely given unto you.
Such an act is a
glorious form of participation. One that contributes to the Kingdom of God in
Heaven on Earth. Perhaps it is more important now than ever that we give our
gifts, without reluctance or coercion and free of fear and manipulation. Giving
in generosity, and genuinely to creation and to each other. Give unto others
what God has graciously inspired within you. In the most trying of times, these
gifts are at their most significant value.
When the going
gets tough, the tough get giving.
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