Your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality. (2 Cor. 8:14)
She wanted to give up. Life in a concentration camp was just too difficult—she was cold, dirty, and abused. But as she lay in the darkness, a cold, bony hand covered hers, and she felt something pressing into her hand. It was a small portion of an apple. With each tiny bite, her will to live strengthened, and she lived to see the camp liberated. Years later, she was able to help this same kind woman during a crucial time in her life. When asked why, she replied, “She helped me, and now it’s my turn to help her.”
The impoverished saints living in Jerusalem needed the love and care of other Christians. The authorities were crushing them. Paul hoped for a sizable offering to help them make it through this miserable time. “Remember,” Paul admonished, “someday you may need help, and they will be able to help you.”
Think back to someone who helped you. Can you do something to return the favor? There are many ways to show Christ’s love visiting the lonely or helping with babysitting or providing financial assistance. You can give out of your abundance or out of your poverty. As part of the church, we have a responsibility to help others. Remember that someday you might be in need, and the very person you assisted may be the one to help you.
Remember that your giving may someday boomerang back to you.
Pamela J. Kuhn’s husband is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University. Her favorite word is joy; her favorite place is anywhere that holds books and sells tea.
© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
