It is more blessed to give than to receive!

(Acts 20:35) “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

The idiom “faithfulness” is a term of endearment but it also carries with it great responsibility. There are many areas in one’s life that demands faithfulness and yet so little of it actual exists with any meaningful fruit. Divorce is high on the list, which proves the volatility of mankind. Words like “unto death do us part, in sickness and in health, for richer and poorer” etc seems to be taking its toll on society. Even amongst Christians this truth seems to be wreaking havoc. I am sadly amongst that number, and I say it to my own shame. No matter how I may look to justify the reason for why I am now no longer married, the facts is this, I am no longer married and therefore lack endurance as a faithful husband. Guilty as charged!

Then what of our commitment to a body of believers, our faithfulness to a local church; I too was faithful for a while to a group of believers where I believe God had placed me; “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.” (1Corinthians 12:18): - And yet now my priority is to self instead of others. We must guard against this warning from scripture, which says; “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:12-13): - Everything in Christianity and in the life of the Lord Jesus points us to His faithfulness, to His Father’s call and His total commitment to it. Faithful was He, even unto death! It is imperative that we begin to bare the fruit of faithfulness in our lives. This is now high on my list of priorities.

You may say I am faithful, praise God! But is there any area in your life that you see slipping and if so guard your heart against it? Through the process of time I have let many areas slip, but God in His faithfulness has brought me once against to a place of repentance and renewed a right spirit in me. How did this reckoning come about, it is simple, we must remember to put on the whole armour of God, for when we do, God is faithful to reward those who find obedience to His instruction. He is faithful in committing to His promises whatever they may be! I love you Father and I thank you for revealing this particular characteristic your wear with perfection.

There is a thief that looks to rob us of our commitment to walk faithfully before our great God and Father, as well as our lack of dedication to those whom you have called us to be faithful too. Many of us have fallen short is some areas of our lives, but I am thankful that through your faithfulness and your undying loves towards those whom you have call, to those you have chosen, you once again bring us to a place of reckoning and help us cry out to you. We are dependent upon you mercy and grace to survive in this perverse and wicked generation.

Where would I be without your faithfulness, in some gutter somewhere and yet now I am able to cry out, my God reigns and His mercies endue forever! Thank you Lord Jesus! It is the amour of God that protects us from the deceitful wiles of the devil; let us therefore remember to dress for battle. By so doing we find protection and will be able to guard against the thief who looks to rob us of our love for one another. It is the simple things we need to get right and not the moving of mountains.

Let us seek God’s face as we cry out to Him, “less of self and more of others”, as it is more blessed to give than to receive; “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" (Acts 20:35)

Have we learnt this valuable lesson? If not let us make it our goal to learn it and fast.

Signing off

Tyrone