Give!

Give!

give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:38 KJV

The Context and Charge:

In a world that has been sold on the ideas of acquisitions and possessions, today's extract is like a kick in the teeth. The world seeks to define men by the value of their net assets, not net givings. Forbes list isn't about what men give out, but first about what they have. The world also defines success by the value of those acquisitions and possessions, so much so that now, we have a generation of young people sold on the idea that if you do not have, then you are worthless. The world is actually unable to define success in concrete terms, yet it pushes men to pursue the illusion, unable to determine if they have attained it, or whether there is still a lot more to do. Is that really the best use of the life God has given us? 

When you read today's extract, you get the distinct idea that God's view of life is fundamentally different from the world's. God still wants me to have all that He has provided, but he does not want to define my life by what I have, but by the understanding of who I am in Him. Possessions do not stay with you forever; even the things you customize to your taste can be stolen or destroyed. Giving signifies a heart that is not bound to the things it holds, but to the One he knows. Giving indicates that I know and understand the limits of things, and like the example of Jesus, when you give, it always comes back to you. Think of the billions who have come to be joint heirs with Christ, simply because of the life He first gave. 

The Contention and Conclusion:

Giving has a guarantee of returns. That guarantee is backed up by the greatest power in the world; the same power that created all things and to whom all created things answer. When He commands, His creation has no choice but to respond. This is the same God who used a stick to make an iron axe-head float on water; who placed money for tax in the mouth of a fish; who made a cruse of oil have endless supply while there was famine in the land; who fed over 5,000 people with a boy's lunch. 

There are endless possibilities of the returns you get from giving what you hold back to God. Actually, there is nothing in your hands now that really belongs to you. Before it came to you, it was in someone else's hands. Once a man dies, whatever he holds is given to someone else, or is destroyed. God does not force you to do anything; whatever you give him from your heart is what He takes, multiples and gives back to you in multiple folds. When He commands the increase, even the devil has no choice but to comply. Isn't God the better option then to obey? If i obey, I get the full package as promised. The opposite is equally true. God's time of favour is here.