There is one who covets greedily all day long, but the righteous gives and keeps on giving.
Proverbs 21:26
Have you ever worked with a person that had to be told to do a complete task and not half of a task? I'm sure many people can identify with working with someone who does the bare minimum. It is such a pain when a co worker always empties the coffeepot and baked goods and never offers to start a new pot or contribute to the kitchen. As a Christian, how do you handle this? Do you say something at the right time and place or do you continue to repeatedly give fully knowing your generosity is unlikely to be reciprocated.
Sometimes our family members can be guilty of sapping the life out of us too. Good relationships are a two way street . Give and take with a equal balance is delightful...but it rarely works that way. In different seasons of our lives our amount of giving and receiving probably fluctuate a lot.
Where us your heart today? As the season of "giving" approaches, are you fixated on what you'll get or are you pondering the perfect gift for each person on your list?
In your relationships, are you sapping the life out of your family members unintentionally or are you a willing contributor to healthy relationships with your loved ones?
The bible is very clear about how we, as Christians should live. The verse above says as Christians, we should give without any regard of the possibility of receiving. It can be exhausting, however the message of Jesus will shine through you like nothing on this earth could ever do.
There was a time in my life when my plate was very full. My husband had a serious and potentially life threatening illness and was in the ICU in the hospital. At the time we had two children under the age of five and we lived 700 miles from family. My loving sister left her busy family and came the long distance to my rescue! She stayed a long time while I sat at my husband's bedside and prayed for his healing. Dozens of friends prepared meals and helped our family. Clearly, they were serving the Lord without any thoughts of receiving anything in return.
My husband thankfully made a complete recovery and over the next several months, our lives slowly returned to normal. So many people left a mark on our hearts with their selfless giving. Both my husband and I consider that trying time in our lives as a defining moment in our walk with the Lord. We chose Jesus and to walk with Him daily in our lives!
Prayer:
Lord, open our eyes and our hearts to selflessly give of ourselves to those around us daily. Help us be intentional in our giving to each other with our love and time for Your glory. Amen.