Tag Archives: Giving Or Taking?

Gratitude Will Shine??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #410

28 Friday Nov 2025

Posted by in 'Come unto me, Giving and Sharing, Giving Or Taking?, Giving Thanks to God!, Gratitude, Gratitude Is Timeless, Gratitude to Generosity, Great is Thy Faithfulness, How much goodness is enough?, Humility, Thankful, Thankfulness with joy!, Thanksgiving, That They May Know

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Gratitude Will Shine???    A Word from THE WORD!!! #410

As we have just celebrated Thanksgiving, I want to share a simple reminder that gratitude isn’t about a day, but rather an attitude, that will color our whole outlook toward the world, and shine a measure of love, kindness and helpfulness to those around us.  And while this time of Thanksgiving is so stressful for so many people, your kind smile and a thank you could do wonders for some one!  Let’s look at some scriptures that can help us put on that Jesus’ Shine!!!

“Ye are the light of the world.

A city that is set on an hill

cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle,

and put it under a bushel,

but on a candlestick;

and it giveth light unto all

that are in the house.

16 Let your light

so shine before men,

that they may see your good works,

and glorify your Father

which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

Let me make just a few comments on this passage, for we cannot be “the light of the world” unless we know Jesus!

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying,

I am the light of the world:

he that followeth me

shall not walk in darkness,

but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

Without “the light of life”, we have no ability to “shine before men”!  Just as the moon has no light of its own but is rather a reflection of the light of the sun!  So without “The Son”, Jesus, we have no light to share with the world—a lost, dark and dying world, in need of light and life!  A world to which Jesus sends us out with His light when we are born again by His Spirit.

“He came unto his own,

and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him,

to them gave he power

to become the sons of God,

even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born,

not of blood,

nor of the will of the flesh,

nor of the will of man,

but of God.”  John 1:11-13

Oh, to shine His light in all we do—everywhere we go—in all our ways—in all we say!  Oh, to be Jesus to someone who needs to hear and see how much HE loves them, and so do I!   How much of Jesus are we taking to this world?  Just a bit on Sunday?  Just a bit at Thanksgiving or Christmas, or even Resurrection Sunday?  How about every day, in every way, for all to see Jesus not me!  Giving our gifts in secret to those in need, rather than blowing that trumpet to announce our good works and get the credit!   How about the clerk at the quick mart?  Or the teller at the bank?  Or the checker at those crowded “box stores”?  How about to little children who are sometimes too loud, and too rambunctious?  To that one who has caused us harm or offended us!  One of the verses I had my children learn and speak to each other when they were mad at each other, still works today, for you and me!

“Let all bitterness,

and wrath,

and anger,

and clamour,

and evil speaking,

be put away from you,

with all malice:

32 And be ye kind one to another,

tenderhearted,

forgiving one another,

even as God for Christ’s sake

hath forgiven you.”  Ephesians 4:31-32

Now, if you have nothing to be forgiven for, this may not apply to you!  Really?  Not!  We are called to extend to others the grace, forgiveness and mercy that God gives to each of us—each day!

And just to pull all of this together, the prophet Micah, made it clear what God expects at the very minimum.  And don’t devalue his emphasis on “humility”!  Our light can dim in a moments time in the presence of pride!

“He hath shewed thee, O man,

what is good;

and what doth the LORD require of thee,

but to do justly,

and to love mercy,

and to walk humbly with thy God?”  Micah 6:8

Paul gives us a great picture of how humble we are to live!  May we take this to heart as we go forth into a new year soon!

“Who, being in the form of God,

thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation,

and took upon him the form of a servant,

and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man,

he humbled himself,

and became obedient unto death,

even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him…”.Philippians 2:6-9a

Amen and Amen!!!

A Giver Or A Taker??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #586

11 Wednesday Sep 2019

Posted by in Faithfulness, Giving Or Taking?, Greed, Helping The Needy, Love, Love Is Action

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #586   A Giver Or A Taker???

 

We live in a culture of “gimme’, gimme’, gimme’! It seems that almost everyone wants ‘something for nothing’; everyone wants all they can get for as little as they can do.  As my husband is often heard to say about this mind set, “Get all you can, can all you get, and sit on the can!”  But as followers of Jesus, we’ve been called to a higher standard!  I’d like to simply share a few thoughts with you today to remind us of the biblical perspective of ‘stuff’.

“Give,

and it shall be given unto you;

good measure,

pressed down,

and shaken together,

and running over,

shall men give into your bosom.

For with the same measure that ye mete

withal it shall be measured

to you again.”  Luke 6:38

Jesus said our giving is to be at the least, abundant; but some today teach that we are to give in order to ‘get’ these blessings that Jesus described.  I don’t think so.  We are to give because Jesus gave HIS all for us.  Paul talks about this in his letter to the Ephesians.

“Let him that stole

steal no more:

but rather let him labour,

working with his hands

the thing which is good,

that he may have

to give

to him that needeth.”   Ephesians 4:38

Paul calls believers to work with their hands (or their minds) to earn a living that they may be able to share with those in need, not to ‘get more’ from God or others, but to be a blessing to those in need. Paul covers that most profoundly in his comments on love—he seems to say that if we “give to get” we are not acting in love but greed, and that nullifies our efforts!  You decide (and you might want to take some time and read this whole chapter!).

“And though I bestow all my goods

to feed the poor,

and though I give my body

to be burned,

and have not charity,

it profiteth me nothing.”  1 Corinthians 13:3

Paul also has more to say about the attitude of givers and reminds us that it’s not the amount we give, but the heart with which we give.  And takers—well they’re ‘taken’ care of themselves! (pun intended)

“But this I say,

He which soweth sparingly

shall reap also sparingly;

and he which soweth bountifully

shall reap also bountifully.

7 Every man according as he purposeth

in his heart,

so let him give;

not grudgingly,

or of necessity:

for God loveth a cheerful giver.

8 And God is able to make all grace abound

toward you;

that ye, always

having all sufficiency

in all things,

may abound to every good work:

9 (As it is written,

He hath dispersed abroad;

he hath given to the poor:

his righteousness remaineth for ever.

10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower

both minister bread for your food,

and multiply your seed sown,

and increase the fruits

of your righteousness;)”.   2 Corinthians 9:6-10

And here’s the message for ‘takers’!

“Mortify therefore your members

which are upon the earth;

fornication,

uncleanness,

inordinate affection,

evil concupiscence,

and covetousness,

which is idolatry:

6 For which things’ sake

the wrath of God

cometh on the children of disobedience:

7 In the which ye also walked

some time,

when ye lived in them.”   Colossians 3:5-7

Let’s measure our giving and taking by God’s standard!  Have a blessed day of giving as we purpose “in our heart”, to please our Father as we bless and minister to those He places in our path!

Amen and Amen!