“Or what person is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?” (Matthew 7:9-10)
We know how to be gracious and kind to those we love. If someone in our family has need, we help within our ability. The gift of charity is already in us. Jesus wants to take what He has created in us and expand it so that we have charity for our neighbor. This does not mean that we give away the house, but it does mean being charitable, which seeks for us to invest our lives in our neighbor.
Seek what your neighbor truly needs. Often, we just pass by without a thought to the needs of our neighbor. You who live in neighborhoods with folk who may not seem to have physical needs often need much more than those who are struggling to get by. This is not just a monetary thing but gets to the heart of the matter. How is your neighbor’s spiritual well-being? Are they walking with the Lord as you are?
Lord, I am often timid in really investing in my neighbor. Help me to have a heart that truly cares for my neighbor. Guide me in the way of everlasting life so that I truly seek to care for others as You have cared for me. Grant me a heart that is wise, gracious, merciful, and charitable. May I grow a little more to be like You through what You have me do today. Amen.
