Freely Given, Freely Give!

Written by Pastor Reese

Have you ever felt exhausted from doing the right thing? Whether it's ministry, serving our family, or living with integrity in a sinful world, doing God's will can be difficult! How can we give to others without becoming empty? I believe there is a key principle to help us in a story that may be familiar to you: the feeding of the 4,000.

In Mark 8, Jesus is about to feed this massive crowd, and Mark includes this crucial detail: "... and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the people." -- Mark 8:6

This is a beautiful picture in the natural of what Jesus does with all of us as disciples in the spiritual: God gives to us, and we give to others.

It is good to serve other people, after all Jesus said: "freely you have received, now freely give!"

But what we cannot forget is that any act of generosity or ministry to others must find its ultimate source in Christ. If not, it will be unsustainable. Imagine if the disciples had tried to find bread to feed thousands of people on their own: it would've been impossible to serve to many! But because they focused on simply giving what they were receiving from Jesus, an incredible miracle happened! We cannot make the mistake of thinking we are the source of anything- we only have what has been given to use. Let that truth free us from the savior complex and cause us to look to our Savior for the energy, wisdom, and strength we need to live in God! God has the wisdom, direction, and provision to use us to bless others! Loving others is done best when led by the Holy Spirit- not our own wisdom!

So next time you need to do something difficult, remember that you aren't meant to do it alone- you've got the creator of the universe to lead and strengthen you! If we apply these principles, we will be set up for a wonderful life in God- no matter the difficulties!