Good morning, and welcome to Grace For Another Morning.
Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.”
Matthew 5:42Good morning.
Most of us have a strong instinct to protect what belongs to us.
Our money. Our possessions. Our time. Our energy. Even our attention.
When someone asks something of us, the first question that often rises in our minds is not, “How can I help?” but, “What is this going to cost me?”
That instinct is understandable, but Jesus confronts it directly.
“Give to him that asketh thee.”
Jesus is not teaching reckless giving without wisdom or discernment. He is addressing the condition of the heart. He is challenging the instinct that immediately closes our hand simply because something belongs to us.
Generosity begins before anything ever leaves our hand. It begins when we stop treating everything we possess as something we must defend.
Everything we have has first come to us by the grace of God. Our income, our possessions, our abilities, our opportunities, our time, and even the strength we have for another day are gifts entrusted to us.
That changes the question.
Instead of asking, “How much of mine do I have to give away?” we can begin asking, “Lord, what have You placed in my hands that You may want to use for someone else?”
Sometimes generosity means money.
Sometimes it means sharing food.
Sometimes it means giving someone a ride, helping with a task, listening when we would rather be doing something else, or giving time when our schedule already feels crowded.
And sometimes the hardest thing to give is not something from our wallet at all. It is ourselves.
Fear tells us that if we keep giving, eventually there will not be enough left for us.
Faith remembers that God is our provider.
That does not mean we never say no. Wisdom still matters. Boundaries still matter. Discernment still matters. But there is a difference between a wise no and a selfish no.
Jesus asks us to examine which one is speaking.
A clenched hand can hold tightly to what it has, but it cannot easily receive anything either.
God calls His people to live with open hands.
Grace for Today
Before automatically protecting what is yours today, ask God whether He has placed it in your hands so that you can share it.
Generosity does not begin with abundance.
It begins with willingness.
A Prayer for Today
Prayer
Father, thank You for everything You have placed in my hands. Forgive me for the times I hold too tightly to what I have because I am afraid there will not be enough. Give me wisdom to recognize genuine need and a heart that is willing to respond. Teach me to trust You as my provider and to become more generous with my money, my possessions, my time, and myself. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
You do not have to possess great wealth to live generously.
You only need an open heart, an open hand, and enough trust in God to ask, “Lord, what would You have me give today?”