One of the marks of a Christ follower is their habit of doing good things for others. Even when it takes a sacrifice to do it. In Hebrews 13:16, we read this, “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

It is easy in our materialistic world to focus on ourselves. Everything in advertising is designed to remind us that we deserve something that will surely bring us happiness. All you need to do is purchase it. We live in a “me-centric world.” And it is all too easy to forget the needs of those around us as we feed our felt needs. 

Of course this starts with the premise that all we have actually belongs to God. We are merely the stewards of His stuff. I have learned that it is fun to share His stuff with others. In our home we try to be generous with whatever we have. Recently I received a request from a brother in Africa, who trains pastors to preach, about a need he had. Twelve individuals were graduating from training and none of them had a good Bible. The cost of a Bible at 15 dollars was beyond anything they could afford, The same was true for the teacher. The request came at a time when we were significantly tapped out. Yet, how could we not respond to such a basic need that would touch everyone they ministered to in the days to come?  It was a joy to send the money by Western Union to ensure that each of them had a good Bible.

Sometimes the most precious thing we can share with others is our time and attention. We are busy and all of our lives have heavy demands on them. Is it a sacrifice to allocate time to others in our busy lives? Many times, the answer is yes. But remember, with such sacrifices, God is pleased. 

I will be the first to admit that sharing with others is not always convenient and sometimes it is sacrificial. But our willingness to share our resources and time pleases God and that is what counts. Our willingness to help someone get their car fixed, or meet some other need pleases our Father who gives us all good things out of His riches. A two hundred dollar brake job that someone cannot afford can make all the difference in the world to them. 

God is generous to us. How can we not be generous to others? It may be above and beyond our regular giving. It may be sacrificial. But it always pleases God and He is able to meet all of our needs in the process. And remember, He is only asking us to share His stuff with others. 

Father: Help me loosen the hold that I have on my stuff and my time. Give me a deep compassion for those who have needs that I can help meet. Give me a desire to please you by not forgetting to share with those in need. Amen