Giving part 3
When you give what you've got, you experience what you've got. And, since love is giving, when you give what you've got you experience love. I think that's pretty awesome. In the literal sense of the word meaning it inspires awe. I don't think there's anything more holy, or sanctified, or purposeful, or needful, or empowering than loving someone. Giving what you've got. And, again, in that way experiencing what you've got. Love is never about getting, because love is giving. We give what we have. We know and believe that we have it. We fill ourselves to overflowing with what we've already been filled with. But, since this is the Christmas season, I want to spend a little time on looking at what Jesus brought to us when He was born in that manger. Luke 2:14, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." I really think this verse gets to the bottom of things in a very real way. What was missing before the cross... we peace and good will. Look at the state of affairs before the flood (which is type and shadow of the cross). "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). That's why the earth needed to be washed clean. Fast forward to the New Testament and Ephesians 5:26 says, "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." The Word is Jesus. The word is love. We HAVE been sanctified and cleansed. That's not something that needs to happen, that's something that already happened. 2,000 years ago. And, really, from the foundation of the world. So now that we have a clear understanding of the finished work (and the glorious truth that the work is finished) we can begin to operate in, and experience, this dimension of peace and good will. We don't have evil imaginations in our hearts anymore because God took that stony heart from our flesh and gave us HIS hear of flesh! He wrote His Law--the New Commandment for the New Man which is to love one another as He has loved us--on our hearts. Really, it is HIS heart beating with love in our chests. It is Jesus (God in the flesh, love in a body) living His life in us, and through us, and as us. It is God giving us everything we need so that we can give it to those people who we come into contact with. It is God filling us up with His love (with His Spirit, with Himself) so that we can fill ourselves up to overflowing with what we've already been filled with. And when I say "filling ourselves" I don't want you to think it's something you have to DO. We fill ourselves to overflowing with what we've already been filled with simply by receiving it and releasing it. By knowing it and believing it. By fighting the good fight of faith and laying hold of the gift that we've already been given. It's not about GETTING anything. It's about using what we've already got. Giving away what we've already got. Love is giving. We need to really focus on having an attitude of gratitude. Not always lamenting what we don't have, but instead using what we do have. Again--receiving it and releasing it. Receiving it BY releasing it. Releasing it by receiving it. Experiencing what we've got by giving it away. By sharing it. That's what this life is for. That's what this life is all about. 'Tis the season of giving. That's what Christmas is really all about. For God so loved the world He GAVE His only begotten Son. We love (we give) because He first loved us. Because He first gave to us. That means we have something to give. Something worth giving. And we have the ability to give it!