Doug Eaton wanted to celebrate his 65th birthday in an uncommon fashion. When he asked his friends how he should celebrate the big day, one suggested that he perform 65 random acts of kindness. And that is exactly what he did. At a busy intersection, he handed out $5 bills for 65 minutes. According to Eaton, giving to others was the best gift he could have asked for. “It’s been fantastic,” Eaton said.
Mr. Eaton’s birthday present to himself—giving gifts to others—was actually a virtue of Christians in the early church. As Paul prepared to bid the elders of Ephesus farewell, he highlighted this virtue of generosity (Acts 20:35). Along with warning them about false teaching, persecution, and the possibility of elders using their position for personal gain, he reminded them of his custom of working with his own hands, not only to support himself but also to meet the needs of others (Acts 20:28-34).
Then Paul quoted a saying of Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). This saying does not appear in any of the four gospels, but because not all of Jesus’ words were written down (John 21:25), this saying was probably known in the oral tradition of the apostles. Paul was intimating that generosity to people who could not survive without help from their brothers and sisters was a distinguishing characteristic of early followers of Jesus (Acts 2:45; 1 John 3:17).
Giving to others should be a distinguishing mark of followers of Jesus today as well. God allows us to earn money not just to meet our own needs, but also to be a blessing to others (Acts 20:34). Let’s honor our Lord and celebrate our new life in Him by intentionally making our possessions available for God’s service and to help our brothers and sisters who are in need.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Job 1:1-22
More:
Read Luke 10:33-35 to see an example of how one person made his resources available to bless someone in need.
Next:
What are some of the blessings we receive when we give to others? In what ways will you make your possessions available to God this week in order to bless someone in need?
tom felten on May 8, 2013 at 8:58 am
Marvin, when I think of giving, I’m reminded of how Jesus poured out Himself healing, feeding, and helping the multitudes. And, yes, He finally gave His very life for us. What an example for us to follow . . . what an amazing Savior!
marvin williams on May 10, 2013 at 7:41 am
Tom, when I think of giving and living as Jesus gave and lived, I am overwhelmed because it is such a daunting task. Sacrifice, blood, inconvenience, lack of appreciation, ridicule, and loss of life are things that we simply cannot do – in our own power. But the fruit of the Spirit is love. The Spirit produces this supernatural love in us that allows us to give and live as Jesus did. Thank you for providing the Jesus context to our giving. Blessings!
auvencetri on May 8, 2013 at 6:40 pm
One thing I pray for is wisdom in giving. Am I giving to the right thing to the right person for the right reason?
However giving is a great thing. Praise to the Lord that I am able to give.
marvin williams on May 10, 2013 at 7:45 am
auvencetri, this is always a tension for me as well. I have to constantly check my motives to determine if this is Spirit-led or coming from my sinful nature. The Holy Spirit helps us to give generously and inconspicuously so that God gets all the credit. You are so right, besides dealing with the tension of motives, it is such a blessing to have money and time to give to others. Thanks for adding your voice here.