“It is more blessed to give than receive” is a saying attributed to Jesus (by Clement, an early church father, in Acts 20:35). Jesus lived out this principle, giving infinitely more than anyone could ever give to him. He miraculously fed, healed, and rescued, heralding his triumph over sin.
And as the Living God, he continues to generously work in our lives, demonstrating his love and power.
Think about this, from Philippians 2:1, for yourself as a Christ follower:
Has Jesus offered you encouragement as you remain in him?
Has Jesus provided you comfort through his abundant love?
Has Jesus given you fellowship with the Holy Spirit?
This compassion that we receive from our Savior and Lord is to be passed along to others. Such blessings are not meant to hoarded but shared with joy and in gratitude! In this context, the apostle Paul exhorts Christ followers to be “like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind” (Philippians 2:2 NIV). While Paul was imprisoned for his faith, he urged believers to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:1-2 NIV). Such effort demonstrates a heart of unity – in the Spirit, in peace with God, and in hope through Jesus (Ephesians 4:3-5).
We may not think often enough about how humbling it was for Jesus to leave his heavenly throne to serve us even to the point of death. He wants us to have the same mindset of serving others in love as he did for us, with the intent of unity. Jesus’ own words to his disciples were, “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34b-35 ESV).
God has been so generous to us. Are we quick to just absorb his gifts? In our thankfulness (and sometimes in our selfish expectation), we might get caught up in feeling blessed and then too entangled in the blessing to pass it on to others. Instead, our gratitude for God’s mercy should motivate us to do good deeds by sharing his encouragement and love – for his glory, not our own. In fact, God gives us all we need to abound in good works (2 Corinthians 9:8) because he wants us to be “zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14c ESV, letter Z in Keep on Track). Our faith is be demonstrated by our actions. “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:26 ESV).
Doing good works for God’s people is one way we live out our salvation and show God that we love him (Hebrews 6:10).
How will you pass on God’s goodness to others this week?
Share the joy and intention of growing in faith by working with someone through a Heart Training book!