The biblical account of Jacob and Esau reflects our
personality and behaviors. Esau believed in taking one day at a time while his
brother Jacob was a man going somewhere with a definite attitude and purpose.
He wanted power, position and control, so he persuaded a very hungry Esau to
trade his birthright for a bowl of stew.
Most
people will give food to someone genuinely hungry, but not Jacob. Evidently his
value system did not intend for generosity to play a significant role in his
life nor a belief that God would provide for his needs. His attitude was if he
didn’t do things, they wouldn’t get done. Yet when we trust God to meet our
needs, we feel secure.
When
we’re bombarded by those eager to take from us all they can get, we're tempted to shut down generosity. Faith in Christ Jesus inspires giving to those in
sincere need. James 2:17 warns that faith without good deeds is dead. Faith and
generosity build a bridge to mutuality, giving to each other.
No comments:
Post a Comment