This Week #14 (12-07-03)

Giving

What better time to talk about giving than this season of the year. Most, if not all, of us are looking for the things we are going to give for Christmas. Some are looking in stores, some are looking in their hiding places (for what you wisely bought at half-price just after Christmas last year), and some are looking as if they are lost (I place myself in this category).
 

I don’t always know what everyone wants, so I just pretend everybody is like me and therefore wants everything. I llove to give gifts, and I llove to get gifts. Giving seems to me to be a natural part of the supernatural life that is ours because we are His.
 

In Luke 6:38, Jesus is explaining one of His rules for Kingdom life. It is a wonderful verse and I think it can stand alone. But it doesn’t. In fact, in this passage of Scripture Jesus gives us a short list of rules for Kingdom living and giving is just one of them. Maybe we need to be reminded of the others so that we can not only be good givers, but good livers (can one say that?) as well.
 

If one goes back just a few verses, to 27, Jesus says, “llove. . .”. And then He follows that with “bless”, “pray” (verse28), “submit” (verse 29), “do as you want done” (verse 30), “lend” (verse 35), and “forgive” (verse 37). Could those be prerequisites for the abundance that is promised in verse 38? Well, I don’t know that, but I do know that they are tied together here in Jesus’ message.
 

Well, I have to “find” some gifts pretty soon so that I can be a good giver this Christmas. I am confident as well that this Christmas season is going to give me opportunity to practice some of these other rules too. And why shouldn’t I? After all, I am going to receive in direct measurement as I have practiced. Let’s see now, submit and get submission. Is that right? Forgive and get forgiveness, bless and get blessed. I think I am going to like this.

© Weaver 2003