16 Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have because God is pleased with these kinds of sacrifices.
Reflection
I took my dad out for lunch recently. I was really stressed and he eagerly agreed to meet me in our old stomping ground, Princeton, for some much loved dad/daughter time. I think I shocked him a bit when I threw my card down before he could – even in adulthood, my father has always been kind enough to treat me when we ate out. But I’ve been swimming in gratitude lately, almost overwhelmingly so, and I wanted to do this small gesture as a thanks for all he has done for me. It doesn’t even scratch the surface of what I owe him, that’s probably more like 10,000 lunches, but his kindness has modeled generosity and sacrifice my whole life. It’s nice to display that the hard work of parenting has had an impact.
In today’s text from the book of Hebrews, we are challenged to do good and share because God finds these things pleasing. We often think of God as a parental figure, and we God’s children. What if we approached giving with that same, overwhelming gratitude? What if when we gave, we gave with the humility of knowing that it barely scratches the surface of what God has done for us, but we do it anyway because we want to show God that all that belief in us and sacrifice for us has had an impact – that we want to be the kind of people God believes we are capable of being? It may not equal God’s gift to us, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter.
by Rachel Callender
For Pondering & Prayer
How has gratitude looked in your life lately? Is it something you feel a lot of or something you’re struggling with? What are three things, right here right now, that you are thankful for?
Prayer: God, thank you. May we share Your goodness towards us with others. Amen.
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