FREELY GIVE- FREELY LIVE

My three year old recently came upstairs with a- “rip your heart out” look- lip pooched out, with her shoulders slumped down.  She had been playing with her older sister and cousin in their room.  Her hair was all styled up in a side ponytail, hot pink lip-gloss on her lips, and she was holding three Barbie dolls.  I said, “What’s wrong, baby?  Why are you sad?”  She stuck her little lip out and said, “Sissy won’t let me back in da room.  They pwaying without me.”  I tried to explain that sometimes the older girls want to play by themselves and maybe in a little bit they will want her to play with them again.   I asked why she had the dolls and she said, “I took em cause they being mean.” 

The momma bear in me wanted to go set the older girls straight, but I had to tell her not to be mean to them because they are being mean to her.  She sat with me for a bit and then off she went to reunite with the other girls.  About an hour later, I heard giggles and happy screams coming from their room.  I had to break-up the fun to make the three forgiven amigos go to bed. 

From birth to death- some of the hardest lessons in life revolve around sharing.  It doesn’t change when we grow old; in fact, I think it gets harder.  Why is that?  Of course, we have a sin problem- and out of self preservation and selfish desires we like to keep things to ourselves.  This selfie world we live in today gives us almost a wink and a pat when we are being selfish, but that is not how Jesus wants us to live.   I hear twenty times a day, “Mom!  Sissy took MY brush… MY toy… MY baby doll!!” And inside I am about to scream- then I do the lovely, “We wouldn’t have anything if Jesus didn’t give it to us…” talk. 

When we get older it just shifts to other things like time, money, friends, our will, our way… the list goes on.  It is amazing God works with us at all.  We act like selfish brats- and yes, Satan is to blame… the world, but if the truth be told- WE are just as much to blame. 

“Philippians 2:3-4 tells us…Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”  The Word tells us to do this, so you know Jesus can help us to be kinder to each other- to look out for one another. 

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.” Not in our own flesh, but through Christ we CAN share and get along!

All throughout life we have to be reminded, life isn’t about us.  It is about Jesus.  Being selfish with this life just doesn’t make sense.  It truly is His anyway- all of it.   When we share our all, we can giggle and actually enjoy it.  When we preserve ourselves and protect everything we have, we miss out on living.  Sharing isn’t as difficult as we make it most of the time.  If we quit giving in to our flesh, stop listening to the world telling us what we deserve… we can freely give our lives to the LORD and actually live.

One of my heroes in the faith is my dad.  He is a giver, and he told me all my life… the two most important things in life is your relationship with Jesus Christ and your relationship with other people.  When we truly live that way and focus on Christ and people- true freedom happens.  The bondage to idols, money, possessions will all pass away… the only thing that will remain forever is the Word- which is Christ Jesus and peoples souls. 

One of my favorite hymns, Freely, Freely, written by Carol Owens says it well….

He said freely freely
You have received
Freely freely give
Go in My name
And because you believe
Others will know that I live

When we serve others instead being selfish with our lives- others will know that Christ lives!  That is exciting!  We have received so much, how special it is to give in His name!  Instead of fighting we can giggle and enjoy life together- because of Jesus!

 

 

 

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