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“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” —Luke 6:38
How important is it for us to give? So important, that Thomas Merton said, “Love can only live by giving.”6 In truth, one way that Christ’s love is kept alive in our world today is through our daily acts of giving. Whether we are making tiny hidden sacrifices or larger public ones, we are advancing the kingdom of God and the cause of love.
The culture of materialism and abundance in which we live constantly challenges us to maintain our focus. Over time, what we possess can begin to possess us. The more things we acquire, the more we seem to want or think we need. We are constantly bombarded by images of the newest, biggest, best item that the retail world has to offer. Love can get lost as we begin to define ourselves by the material things that surround us. This climate of greed and insecurity can choke off
the life of love, sacrifice, and service that is so vital to the human spirit.
In Luke’s gospel, Jesus tells us that the more we give to others, the more we will receive from God. Of course, he wasn’t referring just to material things (although people sometimes report that their businesses improve after they give more than they thought they were able to). What we get from God in return for our giving to others is the peace, love, joy, and restoration for which our souls long. God offers us his eternal security, which is far more valuable and enduring than anything we can accumulate or cling to here on earth.
We can give in spite of our tendencies toward selfishness, and we can overcome the temptation to hoard what we have. By God’s grace, we can bring love to life in our world today with one generous and unselfish act of giving. So go ahead. Give a little bit, and see what “good measure” your heavenly Father returns to you!
Lord, give me the courage and conviction to let go of the things that are blocking the flow of love in my life, so that I can receive a generous helping from you.
Just for Today: I will “clean house” and give away something I have been clinging to.
This verse you write about often excites me because of the promise that if I give, God will multiply that and give it back to me. However, does anyone have any experiences to share on how to conquer the fear that if I set my heart on giving, I will overstep all boundaries and completely lose sight of self?
desarulanandam - I think that is what is supposed to happen. The more we set on giving from the heart like Jesus the more we become like Jesus and less filled with ourselves. Losing yourself in loving like Jesus did/does is when we become more like Him. Do not be afraid of losing yourself while becoming more like Jesus. This is our call to let Jesus abide in and through us.
Jesus definitely multiplies all that we give and even what we desire to give but are too tired to give.
My husband had an heart attack at age 80 this past Mother’s Day and I was completely helpless to help him. We have no children and all my brothers and sister are gone so physically I am alone. However, on the way to the hospital I put Harold in Jesus arms and asked him to hold him tight and help him with as complete trust as I could. Jesus not only took good care of him but of me also. Neighbors, friends came out of the woodwork to help me. They drove me to the hospital that he was transferred to which is about an hour drive and picked me up daily until I felt I could drive myself. One neighbor even came down and helped me get the house ready for his coming home after surgery.Etc.
I had so little to give but Jesus took it and turned it into a miracle. How is that for multiplying? Do not be afraid to give!