Giving as a natural response to love

 7 Oct 25

Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Life Application Study Bible Devotion


Giving as a natural response to love

The Corinthian believers excelled in everything they had-faith, good preaching (speech), much knowledge, much earnestness, much love. Paul wanted them to also be leaders in giving. Giving is a natural response of love. Paul did not order the Corinthians to give, but he encouraged them to prove that their love was sincere. When you love someone, you want to give him or her your time and attention and to provide for his or her needs. If you refuse to help, your love is not as genuine as you say.


“But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭8‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

————————

Reflections

I wished I had known Christ before my second marriage. My ex husband was never a really giving man. It felt as though asking him to give is like tearing his skin. Perhaps I was even naive to think of love as something that is too simple. I did not understand enough of what love is. Always thought that so long as I give out my love, it will be enough. However, always remember ladies, it takes two hands to clap. Therefore ended up being hurt again and again. The other party just didn’t appreciate me and I doubt there was even true love in the first place. But that said, he was the push factor for me to be baptised, so, just saying.. haha..


Christ’s love for us calls for us to be in the true giving spirit. I have been taught since young to be giving. Even in moral education, it taught us to give, especially to our younger siblings and also to our parents as a form of respect. It somehow became part of me, so much so at times I felt people make used of me. It didn’t matter even though I know. My principle is simple. I give because God gives to me. Nothing belongs to me so therefore, no need to be so uptight about my possessions or my money. Also to be able to bless someone is a gift. To me, so long as the Lord wills, I will still give, even though at times it will mean I will have to struggle through the whole month but it will still pass. Of course we also need to be careful to steward His money and not spent it anyhow.


So if we love Christ, we will give Him our time. We will want to spend every waking moment with Him perhaps. We want to know Him better, know His character, His likes and dislikes. We won’t want to risk our relationship with Him by getting involved with a third party (for example, idol worship or other religions). That is similar to adultery. We cannot say that we love God and yet love other things. That’s not love.


The devotional here challenges us to understand love, especially God’s love for us. I was part reading a book where both the mum and her daughter fell into the water and both can’t swim. The Lord asked the lady, would you give up your life for her (her daughter)? She gave a flat reply ‘No’. Then the Lord continued and said “I did”. That was the gist of the story.. where we were still far off but brought near by the blood of Christ. Eph 2:13

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are you fulfilling your priestly role by holy living?

  2 Feb 26 Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One Readings: Exodus 29 Exodus 30 Matthew 22:1-22 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people (1 Peter 2:9).  Are you fulfilling your priestly role by holy living? Moses receives directives from the Lord to sanctify Aaron and his sons for the priesthood. The Lord says to Moses, “And this is what you shall do to them to hallow them for ministering to Me as priests” (Exodus 29:1). Also, God previously chose Israel as a nation to serve Him in a priestly role. “And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). Whether Old Testament Israel, high priest, or a member of the church-age royal priesthood, God desires His people to separate from the moral contamination of this world’s system. Peter proclaims, “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:15).  Employment Point:  Live acc...
Read more

How are you responding to Jesus’ hospitality as an honored guest?

  11 Feb 26 Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One Readings: Leviticus 13 Matthew 26:20-54 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me (Revelation 3:20). How are you responding to Jesus’ hospitality as an honored guest? The triclinium is used for the Passover meal. It consists of three couches. Guests would recline with their left hand supporting their head while feeding themselves with their right hand. Traditionally the two most honored guests at the feast would recline on the right and left hand of the host. John, who reclines on the Lord’s breast, sits at Jesus’ right (John 13:23) and Judas on His left. When Jesus identifies His betrayer, no one hears but Judas, who is sitting next to Him (Matthew 26:25). John repays Jesus’ invitation for eternal life and intimacy by a lifetime of service; Judas betrays Him for thirty pieces of silver. Employment Po...
Read more

He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (John 6:5).

  16 May 26 Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One Readings: 2 Kings 15 2 Kings 16 2 Kings 17 John 6:1-21 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do (John 6:6).  He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (John 6:5). Jesus doesn’t ask the above question to Philip because He needs an answer; our Lord knows all things. The Good Shepherd’s question has a twofold effect: It shows the inability of men to meet the needs of mankind and displays the impossibility of feeding the vast multitude. Philip should have turned to Jesus and said, “For with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37). This is the first miracle the disciples participate in with the Lord. Amazingly, Jesus provides “as much [bread and fish] as they wanted” (John 6:11). The verb “they wanted” occurs in the imperfect tense, showing continual action in past time. Jesus also had “twelve baskets with the fragments” left over to feed the ...
Read more