It is More Blessed to Give Than to Receive

       For years, I have heard people tell me that they went to comfort someone in the hospital and instead, they received the greater blessing.  I am totally convinced that this is what happens when we give ourselves away without expecting anything in return.  Whether it is time, finances, or actual labor of some sort, there is a satisfaction that comes from serving others.
       At my daughter-in-law's suggestion, I started volunteering at the elementary school where two of our grandsons attend.  I meet with them both to enjoy lunch and then go assist the teacher in one of their classrooms.  My only purpose is to fellowship with them and be of help to a teacher with the extra paperwork she has in abundance.  Both years have brought joy to my heart.  Having been trained to be a teacher and having taught our own children for 21 years, I was left with

a void for me when the job was done.  Now retired, I have the time to put my education to further use.  Today, for example, the teacher I assist asked if I would lead a group reading session where we would discuss what we had just read.  We laughed at the funny story, talked about why things happened as they did and generally loved the time we spent together.  Seeing a light go on in the eyes of a child makes every moment worth it.
      In the book of Acts, Luke recorded the Apostle Paul's farewell to the elders at the church of Ephesus (Acts 20:34-35):  "…34You yourselves know that these hands of mine have ministered to my own needs and those of my companions. 35In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”  Paul wanted to encourage these believers to pursue the same type of approach in helping one another even as the Lord had said.  Of course, the key is doing things with a pure motive and not with an eye to build favor or acclaim for ourselves.  There are three great reasons  why giving is so much better than receiving.
     First, we can never out give God.  He is our source for the many blessings we have in this life.  Proverbs 11:25 tells us:  "The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself."  When we give out to others from the abundance that we have, God will continue to fill us up.  We may not have a lot of money, but we may have the time to write a note to someone or visit the sick.  If we give of ourselves, God will continue to fill us up so that we can continue to bless others.
     Secondly, God wants us to be an avenue to bless others.  We are the hands and the feet of Jesus to those around us. Being in an elementary classroom for me is a chance to assist a teacher with anything she might need to have done and to encourage children to learn.  I can pass on the love of God by simply serving others.
     Finally, the more we give ourselves away, the more we receive in return.  I am not speaking of money here but of the rich blessings that can only come through God.  After class today,  I received many hugs from the young students that I had a chance to work with.  They thanked me for coming and helping them.  Now that is a paycheck of the heart!  What a joy to see their smiles.  In addition, I overheard the teacher saying she had never had a volunteer in her classroom.  That surprised me because there are so many children with so many different needs.  Being a teacher is a challenge and it blessed me to know I could be an extra pair of hands to help.
       We have been put here on earth to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever according to The Westminster Catechism.  By serving our fellow man out of love, we bring glory to God and have a chance to tell others the Good News of salvation through Christ.  Jesus said it well when he admonished his disciples in Matthew 6:19-21:  "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  Think on this and see where the Lord would have you serve others.  There is a greater blessing than you can ever imagine awaiting you.  Selah!
   

Becoming One

     This past weekend, we made a trip to see our Son and his family in order to celebrate his birthday. Trips like this are always a blessing since we spend time with family.  On the way home from having our dinner out, our Grandson Aiden asked everyone to tell a story about an embarrassing event that happened to us.  I started out by relaying an event that took place early in our marriage when my husband and I went on a camping trip to Canada to see his father and two of his friends who went fishing.  We rented a VW camper which was perfect for the two of us.  At the time, we lived in Ohio so the trip was a two day trek.

Our beautiful family

     Being tired when we arrived and getting used to cooking on a tiny stove in the camper was a real challenge for me.  I do not remember what started it, but somehow my husband and I got into a disagreement.  I was upset and attempting to fry a steak at the same time while arguing with my hubby.  When it was done, I put it on a plate and set the plate on a chair so I had room to cook another.  At some point during the argument, I decided to sit down and promptly sat on the steak.  This brought gales of laughter from my dear husband after he saw what I did.  Of course, I burst into tears of embarrassment and when I went to reach for a tissue, a black jumping spider popped up making me cry even harder since it frightened me.  Well, my husband took me in his arms and comforted me, and we both started laughing at the whole incident.  To be honest, I cannot remember a thing about the argument....only the laughter over what I had done.  This was just an early adventure in our learning to become one in Christ.
     Next week, we will celebrate 48 years that we have been married.  It seems like only yesterday that we said our vows to one another.  Four children, 21 years of home educating them and 11 grandchildren later, we have grown together as we have served the Lord, but marriage is not easy.  It takes effort (100% on both sides), commitment, loyalty and faithfulness in order to mirror the love of Christ towards His church.
     Jesus was asked about divorce by the Pharisees.  It was common in his time and even more so in today's world.  In Mark 10:2-9, this discussion took place: " 2And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,a 8and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”  Matthew 5:32 expands on this.  "But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery."  This was a high standard that the Lord set, but God's standards are much different from ours.  His plan has been to use the family as a means of bringing godly image bearers into this world who will witness for His glory and honor.
     Today, however, we see gender bending, and all sorts of distortions to God's plan according to His Word...the Bible.  This is our authority for living, marriage and raising our children, and Jesus made it plain to the Pharisees.  Is it easy to be married?  Can it last?  I would answer that by asking another question, "Can we do anything in this life and succeed without God?"  Certainly, He has to be at the center of any marriage.  He gives the strength, courage,
and ability to hold two people together.  He, alone, has the wisdom to help us raise children, and if we want them to be fulfilled in life, we must teach them about Christ according to the Bible. We cannot be blown about by every wind of doctrine that the world concocts as acceptable.  There is only one standard by which we can find real peace.
     I remember asking my mother if her love towards my father had changed since they were married.  She wisely answered that yes, it had. She told me it was deeper than ever before.  The thrills and chills stage had passed but the loving, abiding more meaningful love had come.  I believe this is what the Lord desires for us to grow in, but without Christ at the center, it would not be possible.  He is the glue that keeps marriage together.  He helps us when we are up to our ears in dirty diapers and a sink full of dishes all the way to the end of our days here on earth.  Two becoming one is an incredible journey when Christ is in the middle.  Selah!

Standing Firm

A Ghost Crab on St. George Island

     As I looked through my pictures from our family vacation, I came across one that made me smile. Good old Mr. Ghost Crab who lives on St. George Island made his unexpected appearance under my husband's beach chair and refused to move.  He was a good sized fellow as Ghost Crabs go with a nice sized claw which none of us wanted to experience.  We moved some things under our canopy to give him a way to escape and picked our feet up as my daughter in law used a "boogey board" to make him depart.  A little nudge sent him running sideways (their usual method of running) near my son's sandal.  For some time, he sat there looking at all these intruders around him.  Eventually, he disappeared likely digging another hole in the sand around us.
     Later in the day, I saw two good sized Ghost crabs fighting over territory.  One crab found another too close to his hole and chased him away.  It was a sight to see, and it got me to thinking.  Near our canopy on the beach was a big old hole.  I suspect that our visitor came to chase us out of his territory as he did not want to move until urged to do so.  Here we were much larger than he by a country mile but that did not stop his attempt to drive us away from his home.  I have to hand it to God!  His creation has a lot to teach us about taking a stand.

Running for cover by a sandal

     In many of his letters to believers, the Apostle Paul wrote to encourage them to stand firm in their faith.  Ephesians 6:11 says: "Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil."  Here we are warned to watch out for the schemes of the devil, but with the full armor of God, we will be ready.  Then, in verse 13 of the same chapter, we read:  "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."  Being ready for the day of evil is why we are wearing God's armor.  He does not ask us to fight but to take a stand just as the ghost crab took a stand.  The crab was defending his home.  We are to stand to renounce the schemes of Satan and his lies that try to undercut God's Word.
      When I think about standing, who could not think about David and Goliath.  Everyone was afraid of this giant who was the champion of the Philistines, but he made fun of the God of Israel.  While the soldiers would not go out and fight him, David had the courage to take his sling and a stone to fight him.  He took a stand for God's honor and glory.  Goliath was certainly much bigger and more intimidating than David, but David plus God made a majority.
      Another example is the Prophet Elijah.  He stood against Ahab and the prophets of Baal.  It was no small thing to invite all the people to gather for a demonstration of who was the real God in heaven.  Elijah had faith in what God would do, and indeed, he succeeded.  The prophets of Baal tried everything to get their false god to light their sacrifice, but nothing worked.  Elijah even poured water on his sacrifice and all the stones around it; yet God instantly devoured the sacrifice and the stones.  Because Elijah took a stand, the people knew who the true God of Israel was that day.
     While we may never have to face a giant or 400 false prophets, we still live in a very contentious society where Scripture is twisted to make certain activities seem legitimate and lies pass for truth.  People call evil good and good evil in our present age.  The value of human life is diminished each day, and others believe we can control the climate though we did not make the earth, the seasons or anything on the earth.  This is where we have to take a stand for the truth of God's Word.  He has called us to stand firm fully clothed in His armor.  The battle belongs to God but the victory is ours through our Lord Jesus Christ.  It requires courage in the face of the world's opposition but we know that in the end, the Lord will reward those who remain faithful.  If a Ghost Crab can face down six adults larger than he is, we certainly can stand in the power of God to face the schemes of the devil.  Selah!