The Good & Perfect Gift
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” –Luke 6:38
Do you ever have a moment when a verse you’ve heard a thousand times really just hits you as if you heard it for the first time? Such was the case recently when Luke 6:38 came to mind. Now, I know that verse has been hijacked by numerous prosperity TV preachers in an effort to get you to send them cash, but there is deeper truth behind it that reveals the character of God and how He wants His family to interact with one another.
Think about it–if God wants to use you as a vessel to bless other people, doesn’t it only stand to reason that He also wants to use other people to bless YOU? What an amazing thing it is to be a part of God’s design for His household. Jesus says in John 13:35 that “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” We also see in Acts 4:32-37 how the early church set the right example in that they freely shared what they had with each other; not under coercion, but out of love for one another. It truly is astounding how this works when done correctly.
Yet it feels so much more reasonable to preserve the best of our time, money, possessions and talents for ourselves. After all, if we don’t put ourselves first then who will? But maybe being first isn’t the goal. Maybe last is actually better. I know that seems against our very nature, but think about it, when we put other people first we please God and then our blessings come directly from Him as a result. I don’t know about you, but the blessings I receive from God are far superior to the blessings I get from myself! Consider this…
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” –James 1:17
Is every gift you give yourself good and perfect? Mine are usually full of flaws, guilt and greed. But when they come from God there is all joy, no disappointment whatsoever! I would even say the gifts received from God are accompanied with great excitement, knowing the creator of the universe wanted to pour His love out on you at that moment.
Now you might be wondering, how can I be sure that God is actually the one providing the blessings? Well, as I look back on my own life there have been several key moments I can specifically point to where I can’t help but see God working on my behalf. Times when I felt called to make sacrifices to help someone in need and He blessed me in unbelievable ways I never expected; blessings provided by people who felt God specifically called them to do a kind thing. The testimonies are so wonderful, I wish I could share more details, but the situations are in the past and the details don’t matter. The point is, God sees and He will honor your obedience.
Which leads me to one thing I’ve really learned, and can’t stress this enough, the person you bless will not always be the one who blesses you in return. Sometimes they don’t have the ability or God knows someone else who has what you need and wants to use them to bless you. We can’t get hung up on keeping score and doing so will just leave you frustrated. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t expect some give and take within important relationships, nor should we neglect self-care when we are overwhelmed with stress, but I truly believe so much of the depression and stress we experience would be eliminated if we would stop participating in the rat race to build a kingdom for ourselves and instead focused on allowing God to use us in a way that glorifies Him to others to help build His kingdom instead! It is then that the rest will be added to you… (Matthew 6:33)
