“Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.”
JOURNAL
God does not separate worship from love of others. In Leviticus, the people are called to come near, to bring what has been commanded, and to stand together before the Lord. Obedience is communal. Love is visible. And God’s glory appears not when faith is private, but when it is lived out in action. What we bring, how we give, and whether we show up matters.
Jesus makes this accountability unmistakable in Matthew 25. The final judgment is not described in terms of knowledge, intention, or religious posture, but in terms of love expressed. Feeding the hungry. Welcoming the stranger. Clothing the poor. Visiting the sick and imprisoned. These are not optional acts of kindness; they are evidence of whether love truly ruled our lives. To serve those in need is to serve Christ Himself. To ignore them is to turn away from Him.
For a long time, I believed this teaching applied mainly to those with abundance. Those with more time, more money, more margin. But Jesus removes that excuse completely. He does not measure generosity by quantity, but by willingness. He speaks to all believers, regardless of how much or how little they possess. The question is never “How much do you have?” but “Did you love with what you were given?”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.” That truth reshapes everything. Love does not wait for ideal conditions. It responds to need. It gives what it can, when it can, without calculating status, reward, or recognition.
I often wonder what life would look like if this were truly how we lived, in my community, in the world. If we were not consumed with what we lack or obsessed with what we possess, but instead focused on honoring the dignity and worth of others. It would feel like a kind of paradise. Gratitude would replace fear. Generosity would replace comparison. God’s goodness would be visible everywhere.
I believe this is the vision God places in the hearts of His people. This is what He calls us to participate in creating. This is the Kingdom come. A life where love governs our choices, where giving flows freely, and where trust replaces control. God does not ask for reluctant obedience or forced generosity. He invites us into joyful giving, confident that He will supply what is needed as we abound in every good work.
Love is not passive. It is accountable. And in living it out, the glory of the Lord appears.
God does not separate worship from love of others. In Leviticus, the people are called to come near, to bring what has been commanded, and to stand together before the Lord. Obedience is communal. Love is visible. And God’s glory appears not when faith is private, but when it is lived out in action. What we bring, how we give, and whether we show up matters.
Jesus makes this accountability unmistakable in Matthew 25. The final judgment is not described in terms of knowledge, intention, or religious posture, but in terms of love expressed. Feeding the hungry. Welcoming the stranger. Clothing the poor. Visiting the sick and imprisoned. These are not optional acts of kindness; they are evidence of whether love truly ruled our lives. To serve those in need is to serve Christ Himself. To ignore them is to turn away from Him.
For a long time, I believed this teaching applied mainly to those with abundance. Those with more time, more money, more margin. But Jesus removes that excuse completely. He does not measure generosity by quantity, but by willingness. He speaks to all believers, regardless of how much or how little they possess. The question is never “How much do you have?” but “Did you love with what you were given?”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.” That truth reshapes everything. Love does not wait for ideal conditions. It responds to need. It gives what it can, when it can, without calculating status, reward, or recognition.
I often wonder what life would look like if this were truly how we lived, in my community, in the world. If we were not consumed with what we lack or obsessed with what we possess, but instead focused on honoring the dignity and worth of others. It would feel like a kind of paradise. Gratitude would replace fear. Generosity would replace comparison. God’s goodness would be visible everywhere.
I believe this is the vision God places in the hearts of His people. This is what He calls us to participate in creating. This is the Kingdom come. A life where love governs our choices, where giving flows freely, and where trust replaces control. God does not ask for reluctant obedience or forced generosity. He invites us into joyful giving, confident that He will supply what is needed as we abound in every good work.
Love is not passive. It is accountable. And in living it out, the glory of the Lord appears.
2 CORINTHIANS 9:6-8
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