Better to Give than to Receive!

 

Better to Give than to Receive!

Many people came to Jesus and asked for healing. Nicodemus came at night and asked for knowledge. Some came asking for fish and bread. But one woman came to Jesus asking for nothing. Rather she brought Jesus something. She brought him a little alabaster box. What could the King of the Universe need with a simple box. Yet the box contained a very expensive perfume, and she began to anoint his head with this costly perfume. She was mocked for this act declaring that she wasted it when she could have sold it and given the money to the poor. But Jesus said that she did a good thing in that she was preparing him for his burial! In another passage it says that she not only anointed him with perfume, but she washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. She did not come to Jesus to ask for anything. She came to give him worship.

While many people come to Jesus to ask, few come to Jesus to give. Asking cost little but giving may be costly. We are called to give Jesus a surrendered life. Often, we must give up our will to follow his. The disciples had to give up everything to follow Jesus. It can be costly to give our hearts to Jesus, but the rewards are eternal.

            There is nothing wrong with asking Jesus for our needs or help or guidance or anything in his name and He is pleased when we do so but how much more is he delighted when we come to him and ask for nothing and simple come to give him worship.

Ten Lepers came to Jesus asking to be healed. They cried out “Master have mercy on us!” He did and he sent them to the priest. As they went they were all healed but one of them came back and “with a loud voice glorified God and fell down on his face at his feet giving Him thanks” Ten asked but one came to give. He gave Jesus the only thing he had… thanksgiving and praise!

Ask but do not forget to return to give thanks. He blesses us constantly and it is only fitting that we give in return the only thing that we can, worship in spirit and truth. Our worship is as incense and perfume to the Lord. He is worthy!

 

 

Victims or Victorious

Victims or Victors

“In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God, in Christ Jesus concerning you” 1 Thess. 5:8

 

When I was young, I was bullied by kids at school and then bullied by my brothers at home. I rarely made lasting friends because I moved about 10 times before I got out of high school. My pre-teens were rough because I came from a family of 9 kids and we were very poor, and the kids made fun of me because of the old, wrinkled hand-me-downs I wore. I rebelled and became a hippy became a rock drummer and got into drugs.  But at 17 I got saved and became a Christian. Things did not get any better. Because I had shoulder length hair, I got called “Jesus Freak” by the world and dirty hippy by the church. I just didn’t seem to fit in.

Growing up I could tell you of a thousand abuses, difficulties, hardships and persecutions I have gone through. But in all that, I never saw myself as a victim. I would never blame all that on a group or a race and certainly would never expect reparations for any of it. What happened to me was life! Life is hard and not everything is fair, but all those things made me who I am today. All those difficulties helped form me into what I am. I have maintained my faith for over 50 years now and realize that “in everything” there is a purpose and God has been there with me through the fire and trials.

Many people today are being taught that they are a “victim” so that your focus is not on yourselves and the lessons to learn from all this, but they try to get you to focus on others and the people who have victimized you. They make demands on justice not realizing that there is always justice, it is sometimes justice delayed. If justice does not come now, God will always bring it in the end.

Jesus told the story of the rich man that lived his life in pleasure while he ignored the beggar at his gates. In life it seemed like there was no justice for the suffering of the beggar, but Jesus said when they both died, the rich man found himself in Hell and the poor man in the comfort of Abraham’s bosom. Heaven was the poor man's reward and Hell was the rich man’s justice.

Even many Christians and young people are buying into this “Victimhood” mentality and are thinking themselves wronged by people, churches, pastors, the world and other Christians. My friends, let it not be so. The world is always looking for someone to blame. But that is not our concern. Whether it is the devil, demons wicked men or so-called Christians, God will deal with that. We are to give Him thanks for all things and allow the working of life to hone off the rough edges of our life and polish perfection into our character. Difficulties can have purpose and God often uses circumstances to develop the character of Christ in you. Jesus was greatly abused, mocked, laughed at and rejected by men. Yet he never spoke back. He entrusted himself to the Father. In the end we are not to see ourselves as victims but as Overcomers in Christ! In the end we must see ourselves not as Victims, but Victorious!