My son Kenny loves his Nintendo 3DS. In fact, playing games on it is one of his favorite things in the world to do. He’s even willing to do extra housework in order to earn more media time so he can play with it.
That’s why my husband knew it would be a difficult conversation when he had to sit down with Kenny and tell him what we think might have happened to his beloved DS, which had been lost for days.
Sure enough, when I walked into the room, Kenny was crying. My husband had explained to him that it was possible Timmy threw it away (Kenny had left it somewhere Timmy could reach it), but that whether or not that was the case, Kenny would have to earn money for another DS. So Kenny was not only grieving the loss of his prized possession, he was grieving the possibility of not having it replaced for a really long time.
At that point, Jessica came into the room. She had heard the discussion about Kenny’s having to earn money for another DS, and she went to stand in front of him. She opened her hands to show him a dollar and a quarter—all the money she had. “Here, Kenny,” she said.
That’s the kind of sweet, giving heart Jessica has. She’ll give even when it means she has nothing left for herself. But that’s not the end of the story.
Later that day, after returning home from a party, the kids each had some candy. The three older ones all had plenty, but Jessica had gotten only one piece. “It just seemed like it was too fast,” she said, the tears running down her face. She was referring to the fact that an adult at the party had been tossing candy into the air for the kids to grab, and Jessica had felt intimidated by all the other kids’ (including mine’s) diving to get the candy.
While I consoled her, Phil leaned down and whispered in Kenny’s ear. I found out later that he reminded Kenny how generous Jessica had been in offering him her money, and he suggested that Kenny offer her some of his candy. Phil said that Kenny froze, and Phil could almost see the thoughts passing through Kenny’s mind: thoughts of Jessica’s generosity warring with thoughts of wanting to keep all his candy for himself.
In case you’re wondering, generosity and love for his sister won out, and Kenny gave Jessica some candy. As he had freely received, he freely gave, just as Jesus commands us in Matthew 10:8.
It’s a good lesson for all of us, because we’ve all had blessings given to us. In fact, every blessing we’ve ever received has come from the free outpouring of God’s generosity to us. Yet too often, when we’re called upon to give freely in return, we don’t do it.
It doesn’t even necessarily have to be money or material goods, though there will be times when those things are appropriate. In the Matthew passage, Jesus was reminding His disciples that they had received abundant spiritual blessings from Him. Because of that, He said, they were to freely bestow blessings upon others, which He gave them the ability to do.
You and I have the ability to bless others too. We might not have much money, but again, that’s not what we’re talking about. (It wasn’t what Jesus was talking about either.) We can all bless others with kindness, with an encouraging word, with a smile or a hug or a look of understanding. We can offer as blessings our own experiences. We can identify with others and empathize with them. Best of all, of course, we can introduce them to the One who made all this possible for us.
When Jesus commanded the disciples to give freely, He knew they would have to take conscious action to do so, and his other words in the passage reflect that fact. Likewise, you and I need to be purposeful about giving freely to others. Otherwise, it just ain’t gonna happen on a regular basis.
Why not start by thinking about some of the blessings you have received, whether material, spiritual, emotional, or some other kind? Then take inventory of what you have that could be used to bless someone else. Finally, determine that you will use those things to bless others. Ask God to show you opportunities you might otherwise miss.
You see, giving freely isn’t just a nice thing to do. Remember that it’s also a command.
Matthew 10:8—“Freely you have received, freely give.” (NIV)
I love this devotional, but I disagree with the last statement that we are “commanded”. That implies force, which renders the whole act useless and without love. I see it as a very good suggestion, but not a command.
In the original Greek, the word “give” is in the imperative. That means it is used as someone telling (not forcing) another person to do something. The imperative is always rendered as a command.