⁴³ Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away

Matthew 5:43 (KJV)

The attitude Jesus is telling us about here is an attitude of generosity. Our Heavenly Father is the richest being ever, and is full of generosity. He owns the cattle on a a thousand hills, the Earth is His footstool, and the universe is his handy work. He owns it all!

Often time we think of our labor as creating our own wealth… and we are called to work hard, as if we are working for God himself. But, the fruit of our labor, though it is ours by right, we need to be generous in heart! We need a heart to think about an eternal economy, we need to store up our treasures in heaven, not here on earth.

And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.”

Leviticus 23:22 (ESV)

From the law of God, he even dictated that when a farmer harvest his land, he is to leave an edge band for the poor and the visitors among us. This is an example of generosity, giving away the extra. God’s nature is generosity, and we being created in His image need to be the same. A society based upon this principle will always flourish.

Who are we to hoard our resources? It’s OK to save for a rainy day, but how much do we need to save? This is a great question, a very personal question. How much do I need, and how much am I able to share? But if my trust is built on the source of all things, I need as if I have abundance and be able to give it away.

Trusting God for our daily bread, means trusting he will provide for my every need. Often I’m scared, how will I survive if the worst possible thing happens, maybe I get sick, or develop a debilitating disease. In either case God will provide. I don’t need to rely on my strength, my ability.

Honestly this has been a huge struggle of trust for me in the past few years, I feel myself growing older, my mind is not as sharp as it once was, and I feel weaker. I’ve had a tendency of not being as generous, because I worry I’ll not be able to provide for my family. This year has been hard, in the early part of the year I hurt myself, and I’ve been in pain ever since.

My struggle is a struggle of trust, trusting that God will provide my needs. One thing I haven’t been is as generous as I need to be. I need to be able to give without reservation. I’m not called to be a bank to hoard resources, but I’m called to fish for the souls of men. Demonstration of Gods generosity is my calling.

Also, a note on the borrowing… We are called to lend without the expectation of return:

³⁰ Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.

Luke 6:30 (ESV)

The principle is simple, The stuff I worked for is mine, but I’m called to give it away and not expect it back. I need to trust that God will provide for my needs, and use me and my resources to reach the souls of the lost. One of my favorite quotes:

Am I so generous that I am willing to give it all away? Am I willing to give even my last breath for the souls of the lost? That is true generosity, the type of generosity Jesus demonstrated at the cross of Calvary.

Lord, loosen my grip on the things of this world, help me to give it away, help me to trust that you O Lord, will provide my daily bread. I have no need of the things in this fallen world. Give me eyes to see the eternal, give me hands to demonstrate your generosity, give me a heart that shows love to the lost in everything I say and do, might it all be to glorify You!

picture by unsplash-logoElaine Casap