Are We Generous?

 

 A generous person will be blessed
for he shares his food with the poor.
Pr 22:9

God keeps bringing me back to positive spirituality.  What I mean by that is that Christianity has so much to offer that benefits believers and the world around us.  We as Christians need to live out the calling in our lives that scripture clearly spells out.  I often hear it asked if certain Christians believe or are obedient to the Bible.  I can’t help but notice that there are passages like this proverb that do not come up in these debates.  It is a simple statement really. 

Note “shares his food with the poor.  We often think of money when it comes to solving the problem of poverty.  In this proverb we see that don’t see a command to give alms to the poor, but to share food.  Think about that for a moment.  To share food we have to become involved and not from a distance.  I have on occasion been able to “get involved” in benevolence ministry.  However, I must say that I do so at a distance.  I cannot claim generosity to the poor.  At least not as this proverb spells it out.

So what can we make of this then?  When we live our lives self-absorbed we miss the opportunity to be God’s hands and feet of loving ministry.  We spend so much time making sure that believers think the right things that we miss the more relationally useful Loving God and Loving others.  Will you join me in this challenge?

Look around you and pay attention to the needs of people in your circle.  Start with your immediate family.  Is there any need that you could share in carrying the burden in?  Beyond family look to your neighborhood, community, and out into the world.  Open your eyes and see what you could do to cultivate generosity, blessing, and the gift of sharing.  It will be hard, but God has not called us to an easy life.