They say that if you want to see where your treasure is, look at your bank statement. Besides the basic necessities of housing, food, and clothing for ourselves and our families, what do we spend our money on? What do our expenditures say about our priorities and values?
Probably all of us would say our family is most important to us. This is true even if we no longer live under the same roof. Are we generous in the ways we express our love to them? Maybe we pick up little gifts or cards during random times of the year and say, ‘I thought of you when I saw this.’ Maybe we have a creative hobby and we make something for someone for no reason other than to tell them, ‘I love you.’ Maybe we make it a priority to spend time with them because doing so says, ‘You’re important to me.’
What about people outside of our loved ones? Are we generous in sharing what we have with strangers? Do we give freely to organizations that house, feed, clothe, and otherwise care for those who are less fortunate? Do we teach our children and grandchildren to serve others by our example?
Is our bank statement filled with expenses for ourselves, or does it show a string of selfless giving to others?
And what does all that have to do with faith?
Open hands make open hearts. If we want to ‘love our neighbors as ourselves’ we will stretch out our hands and share what we have with both loved ones and strangers. On the other hand, if we cling to what is ours and keep everything only for ourselves, the focus stays there: on ourselves.
“Sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” –Matthew 19:21
Christ isn’t telling us to sell everything or abandon our responsibilities. He’s telling us to loosen our grip from what we have and share it with those in need. He’s telling us to shift our focus from ourselves to others, to see that the happiness we get from serving ourselves is fleeting. He’s teaching us that when we give to others, we allow God to expand our hearts and make us more like Christ. With our expanded hearts we follow His way of loving and serving others more closely. This brings us His joy and His peace, which we cannot attain from the things of this world.
“Lord, let my open hands open my heart so that I may know the joy of following You more closely.”
Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2023 Gina Bedell Comments are always welcome!
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P.S.
We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/...
P.P.S. If you’re able to help the people of Maui recover from the wildfires, here are a few organizations that are accepting donations:
The Hawaii Community Foundation
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