For Jesus Who gave Himself for us
Is it right to be giving out so much to others as they just take.
How is the giver to react when it seems too long in a one direction transaction.
I am questioning myself a lot, cause I feel like I am not getting anything back for my efforts.
should I call it off or stick it out?
Dear brother,
May I add a few word to the replies you have received?
It is easy to say "Give". Yes anyone can say it... and yet we may even know it to be true, but how do we give... constantly my friend?
What is it you you are giving? (you don't have to answer this question... I am asking for you to consider it between you and the Lord Jesus)
Let us look to our Lord... and let us consider Him.... He is our life... but how did He become our life? He gave Himself for us.
What did He give us? .... His life.
Twofold... He gave His life in ransom for us..... and now, He gives us His Ressurected Life that we may live, that we may be like Him... that we may follow Him... with the joy that was set before Him.... that He gives to us, the joy of the Holy Ghost.... our strength and reason to rejoice even if we are being used.... not because we are being used as such, but, again, twofold, because as we are giving of ourselves, He is glorified, if we give in His name, in His love, in glory to Him, doing all things as unto Him, and also, our rejoicing is that He has given us eternal life.
Please now take some time and consider what price tag you put on eternal life. You know that we are only passing through... that all of us have only a limited time on earth, that we can take nothing of this world with us... so, Please, my brother, my dear and beloved brother, consider the value of all you could possibly give.... and see if it comes close at all to the price of eternal life in Christ Jesus the Lord.
Brother, our life is hid in Him.... our life.... again, our life. So what then are you giving. Is the life of Christ in you exhaustable... can it ever run out? No. You know it can not and will not.
In fact, my brother.... as we give, we receive.... more and more of His love and grace, more and more of His peace.
I too have faced times when I have wanted to shout, "ENOUGH!!!!", only to have the gentle unction from our Lord Jesus by the Holy Ghost, reminding me that should I begin to count anything in this life.... I immediately am closing the door on His sacrifice of love for me. And, I say gentle, because such is the huge and raging sea that might engulf me should I weigh the things of this world up with His shed Blood and mercy to me a sinner, saved only by grace.
The Lord loves you my brother... and never will He ask anything of you that will harm you, that will take away from the life He has given you.
Give more.... in love... bless those who would take from you.
The world and the flesh scream at us to say, "No!" The Spirit whispers peace to our hearts and says...
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:21
and ....
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10:28-31
and ....
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek
for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:24-34
and ....
But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.
Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
Luke 6:27-35
and ....
Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
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.
And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.
For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great. Luke 6:36-49
Bless you ....><>
Br. Bear
