Let me tell you about the time some dear friends of ours turned a nice profit on an investment they had made. Out of the blue one day we received a note from them with a financial gift. They had been blessed, and they wanted to share a portion of that blessing with us. We were struck with their demonstration of kindness and love.
When we give to others we show what God is like. James tells us, “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father” (James 1:17). God’s greatest Gift was His Son who died to save “whosoever” would believe on Him (John 3:16). Eternal life is not something you can earn, but a “free gift . . . in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
If we want to represent God’s love and grace to the world, we will do it by giving to those in need. Jesus said, “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8), and “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Instead of stealing, Paul writes, we should work so we “have something to share with anyone in need” (Ephesians 4:28).
God blesses us with both material and spiritual things that we can share. One of the best ways we tell others about salvation is sharing our own experience of God’s grace. Psalm 67:1-2 speaks of this very thing: “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face to shine upon us . . . that Your way may be known on earth, Your saving power among all nations.” God blesses His people so that they might testify to the world how good He is. Oh, to be so delighted in God’s grace that we can’t help but share it with someone else!
