Isaiah 37-38 / Galatians 6 / Psalm 65 / Proverbs 23:24
Sharing with others is one of our first lessons as little children. Little ones do not always understand the necessity of sharing because everything that comes into their hands is in their eyes “mine”. Hitting, biting, crying, and screaming are all typical responses when one does not want to share. While it seems normal for children to act this way, once we become adults, these behaviors are frowned upon.
Can you imagine coming upon a group of adults who are reluctant to share their “toys” – cars, houses, boats, etc. so they are hitting one another and crying? Picturing that scene makes me laugh! While adults don’t outwardly show their reluctance to share, they may seethe inwardly at the thought of giving of what they have. Stingy adults are poor adults.
Why do I say that? If sowing and reaping is true – it is a law God set into place – then when we give, we are sowing into a spiritual system that will grow blessings for us and our family. We don’t give to get, but we do give from a heart to be a blessing. As we do that, I believe God piles blessings up on our account and we will see those pour out in various ways.
One way we can sow into God’s Kingdom is by sharing what we have with those who teach us. Galatians 6:6-10 (The Passion Translation) is instructive on this topic. And those who are taught the Word must share all good things with their teacher. God will never be mocked! For what you plant will always be the very thing you harvest. The harvest you reap reveals the seed that you planted. If you plant the corrupt seeds of self-life into this natural realm, you can expect a harvest of corruption. If you plant the good seeds of Spirit-life you will reap beautiful fruits that grow from the everlasting life of the Spirit. And don’t allow yourselves to be weary in planting good seeds, for the season of reaping the wonderful harvest you’ve planted is coming! Take advantage of every opportunity to be a blessing to others, especially to our brothers and sisters in the family of faith!
I don’t want to dive into the topic of tithing right now, but that is one aspect of sharing with those who teach or instruct you in the Word of God. There are other ways to be a blessing. I think that when we seek to share with others apart from our regular tithe, being led by Holy Spirit is both wise and exciting. Why would that be exciting?
Because everything we do should be done with grace and a heart of love, led by our relationship with Jesus Christ. If all aspects of our walk with Jesus are filtered through these three – grace, love, and relationship – we will do well in life and God will be pleased. He isn’t looking to make sure we follow certain rules; He wants us to be a blessing to others because that is how He created us.
He blessed us so that we could be a blessing to others. He didn’t bless us to make us “fat” and “full”. He gives an abundance so we will share. God is a giving, sharing, and loving being and since we are created in His image, it makes sense that we would be the same.
Who teaches you the Word or supports you spiritually? How can you be a blessing to that person or persons today? Ask God to show you and He will speak. I’m sure of it! Beyond that, who else can you bless? If not with resources, perhaps you can bless someone with words of encouragement or a small act of kindness. All of these go a long way toward being a blessing to our brothers and sisters in the faith.
