SHARING WITH OTHERS – AN ACT OF OBEDIENCE AND LOVE

“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame,
the blind, and you will be blessed.  Although they cannot repay you,
you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
LUKE 14:13-14

Do you keep a ledger of good deeds?
In other words, when you do something for someone else,
do you keep a “mental balance sheet” of when they return the favor?

The world teaches us to always expect a return on our investments.
We invest in the stock market in hopes of gaining a return.
We send gifts to clients in hopes of gaining more business.
Sometimes we do a favor for a friend in hopes they will do something for us.
We can develop a “What’s in it for me” mentality.

Is that what the scriptures teach us?
The verse above tells us to invest in others with no hope of a return.
Jesus tells us to do good without thinking of how it will benefit us in the future.
In fact, He tells us to show hospitality to those who cannot return the favor.
Are we really showing hospitality if we are expecting something in return?

So, how do we benefit from doing good deeds with no expectations of someone returning
the favor (especially those who cannot because they do not have your knowledge or skills)?
God’s Word says we will be rewarded at the resurrection.
Doesn’t it just make sense that God’s reward for our efforts
would be much greater than anything a person could give us?
Until we are resurrected, we should do unto others
– not because of what they may be able to do unto us, but simply because we should.

God has blessed each of us with certain abilities.
When is the last time you have used your skills to help another person
or friend with no expectations of them returning the favor?
You can use your physical skills or knowledge for free
even though customers would pay you well if you did the same thing for them.
Why would you do something that takes up your time
without getting paid for your services?
It is an act of love, caring, friendship and obedience.

As an example, the tree in our front yard had a huge limb that broke off.
We were not aware of it until we heard a chain saw nearby.
When we looked out to see who was using it, we found that our neighbors and a good friend
were sawing it up, putting the pieces out for trash pickup, and raking up the wood chips.

Obey God”s Word and look for opportunities to do things for others with no expectations.