Giving and Loving Freely | Friday, November 24, 2006
Loving and giving freely to God and to one another have been easier to me when I was a child but it is getting increasingly difficult now that I am an adult. I have been pondering within myself for the reasons what have caused this change in me and whether is it good or bad? The standard correct answer was of course wrong and it is not good at all to be so hesitant in giving my all to God or to people. Thus, I am airing my thoughts aloud as to what John the Baptist meant when he declared, "God must increase and I must decrease." This is a very cryptic statement to me at least. When I was very young, from the age of 6-15, I remembered giving enthusiastically to God through the offering boxes even though it meant emptying my pockets.
When I reflected to that period of time, I think it was easier because I could always depend on my parents to provide for me and that even if I have no money in my pocket, I will not starve and still I could get my favorite snacks or tibits to eat. I did not worry of what I will eat or what I will dress for I trust that my parents will provide for me and my needs even though I have no money in my pocket. That is probably why I am able to give my money freely and no hesitation at all. When it comes to loving our friends, I was amused by the fact that when I was really young, and when my friends said that they have no money to buy food at the school canteen, I will not hesitate at all in handing up half of my pocket money to him to buy his food. I would not question whether he is bluffing, or using me for his own advantage for such questions would not even enter the mind of a 7 year old boy. When they needed a Bible to read or someone to pray with, I would make sure that my friends would get a Bible even if it meant pestering my mother to buy a brand new one for them. I was carefree and rejoiced greatly that my friends accepted Jesus Christ as their lord and Savior. I always wondered at myself that how easy it was for me to bring my friends to church when I was a little kid but no longer now. I wonder why?
Things began to change as I grew older because I have my own wants and parents seldom provide for you when you reached the period of independence. Somehow, I don't see God the way I see my parents even though I knew in my heart that God is my Provider who supply all my needs. It's not a question of how much I would give but more of a question of how I view God. If I give all I have to God and at the end of the day, i have no fears of what I would eat or drink because I know that God would provide, then what is stopping me to give to God? In the same way, when I could empty my pockets and that I believe that my parents would provide for me, that should be my view of God. My wants in life should not and NEVER influence my trust in God and His unchanging personality.
I believe that we can give freely to God if we viewed Him as Jehovah Jireh, God who provides. No not just view, but believe and trust that He will provide for us for He is faithful and He loves and cares for us very much. In the same way, we ought to be a good neighbour to our friends and strangers alike because we too have received mercy and love from God. People would always view us with ulterior motive if we persuade them to go to church because they would see whether we just want to bring them to church to boost our numbers or because it is simply our Christian duty to do so. What a vast change that is from the past!!!! In the past, I would share Christ to my friends because I genuinely loved them and I did not want them to miss a chance of accepting Christ in their hearts and I did not care whether they joined my church but that they have Christ in their hearts and that they belonged to Christ. That is all. If we come to them in any other way like duty, boosting our numbers and not love, no wonder people would reject us and rightly so. They are very sensitive to this and we need to show them that we care and that we love them enough to care. I believe that this will cause them to lower down their resistances and accept our sharing or at the very least, they will hear of what we want to say and share.
To love freely and giving freely boils down to our attitude towards God and our love for Him. Our desire and wants can never take the place of our love that we have for Him, or else everything is in vain and we will become empty ourselves. Let's trust and see God as One who provides and love us deeply that he gave His One and Only Son to reconcile us back to Him through His death. Let's share Christ not with an ulterior motive but with genuine love for them. May this short sharing provokes us to love God as He deserves to be loved. Amen.
Created at 1:50 PM
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Name: Joseph Chia
Age: 28
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