Living With Purpose
Despite our differences, we were made for human fellowship. While some personalities are quite content on keeping to themselves, as a general rule, we are starved and stunted in every way when we live selfish lives. Nobody is so poor within themselves than the person who shuts their sympathies away from their counterparts and devotes themselves entirely to looking out for number one (aka: self). After a brief conversation about helping others and giving when the opportunity affords itself, my daughter laughingly quipped, “Sharing is caring!” And she’s right. It’s just as sure as the law of gravitation that if we divide with others God’s good gifts to us, we multiply instead of diminish our blessings.
A wonderful illustration of giving and being blessed is found in 1 Kings 17:7-24: A widow gives some water and bread to a hungry and thirsty Elijah. As a result of her giving, God blessed her with an abundance of food. The Bible goes on to say that the widow’s son becomes sick and Elijah helped save him from death. This old story reveals a law of God also found in 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 that can’t be changed: “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. God loves a person who gives cheerfully. And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others”.
The way to be blessed is to give to others. In other words, when you’re blessed by something, find a creative and genuine way to give a little of that blessing away to someone else. By doing this you keep the cycle of God’s blessings flowing in and through you. Unselfishness is an invulnerable and bulletproof piece of armor in any world which belongs to God.
In the Roman Army there was a law that no one should approach the Emperor’s tent at night or they would be subject to the death penalty. One night a soldier was found near the royal tent, bearing a petition he wished to present. He was sentenced to death at once. Upon hearing the voices, the Emperor asked what the trouble was. Finding out the soldier had entered the forbidden ground, he gave this command: “If the petition be for himself, let him die, but if it’s for another, spare his life.” The soldier’s plea was for two fellow soldiers who had fallen asleep at their posts. The pleading soldier’s life was spared.
God is still more gracious, for when we come to Him in prayer on behalf of others He will also hear our requests for ourselves. It was when Job, of the Old Testament, forgetting his own great losses and troubles, sought God on behalf of his friends, and Good brought joy again into Job’s heart and life.
By sharing what we have with others we give a practical exhibition of our trust and confidence in God. We show we’re not afraid to trust God to give us more blessings. We often pray God do for others what He has already given us the means to do in His name. Real prayer, the kind that moves mountains, requires us to actively be cultivating our relationship with God. Why pray something for someone, when you already have the abundant means to relieve your neighbor’s distress and yet will not do it? Why pray about the conversion of your friend when you’re unwilling to speak with them about your own personal testimony and the knowledge of God’s great love? Many pray for God to save sinners, many well-intentioned people pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the church services, many pray for pastors to start revivals, but week after week we share nothing of Christ with anyone outside the church walls!
Let’s each one of us co-operate with God and look for opportunities to witness of what God has done, is doing, and will do in our lives. Look for ways to share the hope of Christ, encourage with words and smiles, and we will see the wonderful days of salvation. Remember, sharing is caring! Share what spiritual blessings God has already given you with unbelieving friends, neighbors, and family and you will find that you lack no good thing.
• This bi-weekly column is written by Matthew Dobson. He’s the Public Health Services Manager for Santa Rosa County, Florida, a U.S. Army Reserve Chaplain, and the Pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in the New York Community. He recently published his 4th Volume in the “Living With Purpose” Book series which can be found and purchased on www. Amazon.com. You can contact him at: rmdobson@liberty.edu.
