A Child Who Gave

The Bible says that Jesus came to serve, not to be served (¹). He gave His life, which is the ultimate sacrifice. A person can give a million dollars to a non-profit organization that funds orphanages so to help teach, feed and clothe orphans; and even though his gift is greatly needed and very noble, I feel the greater gift comes from the person who is doing the teaching, feeding, and clothing. Because they are the ones sacrificing their life, and their work makes the gift honorable. The point I’m trying to make is that the greatness of the gift depends more so on the conditions the gift was given, not so much on the gift itself.

When most people think about a gift, they think about money. I know I do. And, it’s nothing wrong with that, but it is something wrong when someone identifies their value as a person with the amount of money in their bank account. LOVE is more valuable than MONEY! As I was taking a shower tonight I was thinking about what I can give people. I was thinking about the things I can do for others that can help them. What do I have that can make a difference in this world? I wasn’t born with a lot of money to give to everyone who needs it, and I can’t sing like Michael Jackson, and I can’t act like Denzel Washington, but I can love others genuinely. And you can too.

Acts 3:4-6 NLT — [Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have…]

Proverbs 23:4-5 NLT — [Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.]

There is a story in the Bible of a child who gave what he had; and though at the time his gift was considered small to some, God multiplied its worth. [The story is in John 6:1-14] It basically tells of a situation that Jesus and His disciples were in. As Jesus was going around doing miraculous signs and wonders, people began to follow Him around everywhere He went, just as if He was a celebrity. One day there were thousands of people congregated around Him, and Jesus wanted to feed them all, but no one had anything to give…except a young boy who offered Jesus a couple of loaves of bread and a few fish. Jesus then multiplied his loaves of bread and fish thousands of times to where everyone ate their fill and was satisfied… all because a child offered the little he had.

Whatever your gift is… be it your time, your wisdom, your talents, your knowledge, your relationships… whatever it is, it’s valuable. You never know, maybe God will multiply your gift to fulfill His purpose.