Real Giving
A welfare case-worker once told a story about a family she was assisting. She declares that this family taught her one of the greatest lessons she ever learned. It shows us that we really do live in luxury.
The Sheldon family was in dire circumstances due to many misfortunes in life. What little help the case-worker could give did little to ease the trouble. The worker visited one day to find that the man, despite a bad and painful physical handicap, had killed and butchered a bear that had strayed into their yard. She found an entire room was filled with jars of bear meat that would sustain them through the winter.
She always enjoyed their visits as they were a pleasant and kind family. After some time, she rose to leave and the man gave her a jar of bear meat. Now, the worker did not want to take the meat and the man sensed the reason why. "We want you to have it," he said. "We ain't poor." "What's the difference?" the case worker responded.
The man's response was the greatest lesson she ever learned. "When you can give something away, even if you don't have much, then you ain't poor. But if you don't feel easy giving something away, even when you got mor'n you need, then you're poor, whether you know it or not!" Now, that's what giving is all about!
Real giving is not so much about the amount. It is so much about the attitude that drives the giving. “But this I say; He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sow bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” (II Corinthians 9:6-7).
The way Peter described the ministry of Jesus helps us define well what real giving is all about. He said that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38).
Real giving is doing good with whatever power you have been given. Jesus had the powers of divinity that gave Him the ability to heal people. However, as a man, He went about doing good. What He did was not for show. He did not do great signs just to raise a large crowd of followers. He did not do what He did only after extracting some kind of commitment or quid pro quo.
Jesus did what He did because it was good. And, the foundational factor leading to our helping others is first, “Do I want to do good? Can I do good in this situation?” If the answer is yes, give them a jar of bear meat because you are not poor!
— Mike Johnson
