When God Says …
“And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.” (Luke 6:29-30 KJV).
These passages seem nonsensical to our human flow of thinking. Our first reaction will naturally be “why do we want people to run all over us?!” We don't want to be doormats. We don't want people to take advantage of us. Clearly, in Scripture, there comes a time to stop allowing folks to continue their evil works, making us becoming enablers. That we do by being always in the safe ground of God’s presence, by submitting ourselves to Him and resist the devil (James 4:7). On the other hand, being children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, we are called to be agents of defusing conflict, instead of being a "winnowing fan" upon a gathering flame in a ruinous environment. This servile posture to have on others should not be submission to fear or powerlessness. Instead, it should be a Kingdom commitment to honor God and do what He unction in our hearts to bless and touch others.
The stuffs that we hold often have the tendency to hold and own us, if left unchecked. Hence, many people hoard stuffs. In Cebu City, Philippines I even happen to stumble upon a temple built to house hoarded stuffs. Yes we can get more attached to our stuffs than to the people dear to our lives. When our things are taken from us, we can be more concerned about the things, than we are about the soul of the person who took those things. Many families are in conflict among each other because of things they hold tight on to. God wants us to be generous with others, just as He is generous with us. God poured out His grace to us freely, so lavishly. Some people abuse that grace! Is God regretful He offered us His grace? Certainly not! He gives us grace for grace! (John 1:16-17).
Some people will abuse us too, in many respects or take advantage of us in a "deal" or in our generosity and goodness. In such circumstances, rather than destroying the body of believers in Christ Jesus, and bringing ruin on ourselves through bitterness and conflict, we need to forgive and let go of what can chain us to this world. Being tight fisted with things is not how we, as believers in Christ, are designed. We are designed to prosper and thrive to be a blessing. So, let’s have an open hand. No resistance! The Scriptures remind us: “The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.” (Proverbs 11:24-25 MSG).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
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