Freely Give

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. - Matthew 10:8

Not all of those who were listening to Jesus had the game to heal and raise the dead or drive out demons. But he still told them this - because they’d all received something, so they all got to participate in giving as well. And this word stands to this day: we may not all be healers, but we’ve all received.

Notice the ‘freely’ part of this equation. Jesus is pointing out that there’s a whole lot in your life you didn’t earn. It was just plain given to you. For example, things like our bodies and our minds… we didn’t earn them. We just showed up with them - they are pure gift. And that’s not to mention so much of the love and care we’ve received, all the prayers that have been answered, all the small and big miracles alike.

So if we’ve received so much and so freely, what holds us from giving back - is it that you worry you won’t have enough in the future (that somehow there’s a scarcity of resources so you need to hold on to yours)? Is it that you feel like you earned everything you have? Or is there another reason you hold back?

Spend some time today asking Jesus for a heart that’s generous like his. And perhaps you may experience what he said, that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).