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"Gratuitous" in the Autumn 2015 VISION Newsletter
What have you been blessed with? What has God given to you?
When we think of everything that God has entrusted to us we are often moved to thankfulness. But what is the next step after gratitude? What can we do to show God that we are not only thankful, but that we want to glorify Him with all we’ve been given? We can turn to Matthew 10:8:
Freely you have received; freely give.
As we are humbled by the abundance that God bestows on our lives, these thoughts must turn into action. The action of giving like Christ did, with no conditions or expectations.
In the 2014 Pentecost service, Chief Apostle Schneider said that one of the effects of God’s love is that He is always the giver.
He gives without calculation. He gives without expecting anything in return. He gives without stipulating any conditions…The Lord Jesus gave His life for all, without any conditions. He has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit. And I am sure we all agree: without any merit on our part…He gives because He loves us. So if we truly have love then we also have to be those who give it. We too are to give to others without calculation and without expecting anything in return.
Think again of what God has given you. Maybe you are thankful for your spiritual gifts, your relationships, your health, or the time you have to make experiences and learn new things. How can you freely give these things to others? Can you give these things without calculation or without stipulating certain conditions? How can you give away things like time or health?
If we can stay in the frame of mind that the things in our lives really belong to God and not to us, as discussed in the article on stewardship, the natural response inspires us to give freely. Through our giving to others we are drawn into a closer fellowship and likeness to God and His Son. Acts 20:35 is a verse we are familiar with: It is more blessed to give than to receive. As our relationship with Christ grows, we clearly see that true joy in Christ is found in giving. How can our congregations embrace the concept of gratuitousness? It’s very clearly defined in our Vision by the phrase, to create “a church in which people feel at home.” When we can “give without calculation,” we display our love for those to whom we give. This culture of giving and serving is a key aspect in fulfilling our Vision and is a responsibility that is inherent in all of Christianity. -VB/KAH
"Who we are, and what we have, has been given to us so that we can place it at the service of others. Freely we have received, freely we must give. Our task is to make it bear fruit in good works. - Pope Francis