Sharing

    The story is told of a man who, as he began his noonday meal one day, was approached by a poorly dressed man who said to him, “Will you share your lunch with me? I’m very hungry.”  The man looked up at him and felt great compassion for this poor man and said, “Here, take my lunch. I can find something in the cafeteria.”

      It was a noble and generous gesture for the man to give away his lunch.  We are sure that he was very blessed for his kindness. This reminds us of the story in John 6:1-15, when Jesus and His disciples were followed by a great multitude of people. Many were sick with various diseases and hoped for a miraculous healing, having heard of Jesus’ fame that had spread all around the country of Galilee.

    After preaching to them, Jesus turned to Philip and asked him where they could buy some bread to feed the people, since they had brought none with them. Andrew was puzzled with this question but answered that there was a boy with five loaves and two small fishes.

    Because this young boy was willing to share his small meal with Jesus, it resulted in a great miracle as Jesus multiplied these five loaves and two fish so that 5,000 men, plus a great number of women and children, could all eat and be filled and still have twelve baskets of food left over!

    What lesson can we learn from this miracle? How much of our busy time do we give to the Lord in Bible study, meditation, prayer, worship, witnessing to the Lord’s goodness and the Gospel, being good stewards of all the Lord has put in our possession, and being obedient to opportunities the Lord opens to us? How willing are we to share our blessings with others?

    Sometimes we are too concerned with our own needs and are reluctant to share with others the things with which the Lord has blessed us.  We hold our blessings in clenched fists. This is truly a grave mistake. Freely we have received, and freely we should desire to give and share with others. The Lord has promised to provide for our every need so if we truly believe Him, our concern should not be for ourselves but for the needs of others. 

    There have been times that the Lord has asked us to give away our lunch. Giving away our figurative lunch can cover a wide scope of sharing.  It can include our time, our money, our labor, and our talents. It will surprise you what the Lord can do, if He controls a generous and caring heart. He can multiply your small lunch to that which will yield a rich banquet of blessings to others. Think of it!

    This has been my own experience and indeed that of this Christian fellowship.  Many born, with practically nothing, but with a lot of faith and love, have been blessed of the Lord, and have touched thousands of people in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, South America, and India with the wonderful knowledge of God’s Plan of the Ages.  Its message has reached people who had never heard of Jesus and the salvation that comes from belief in Him as the only Savior from the penalty of sin and death, because He laid down His life as a ransom for all to be testified in due time (1 Timothy 2:5, 6)).  It has shared the wonderful message of Jesus’ soon return to establish His kingdom on earth and fulfill all the grand promises for blessing all the families of the earth (Genesis 22:15-18). 

    We ask -- Would you be surprised, if you felt the Lord tap you on the shoulder today and ask you if you would be willing to “share your lunch” with someone who needs it more than you do? Would your answer be that you couldn’t because you only have enough for yourself? Or would you respond as did the boy on the hillside, and willingly hand it all over?  If you are one of those who would hold back, you would be robbing yourself of a great blessing that could possibly lead to a hardness of heart, affecting your spiritual growth. 

     Let us remember, we have nothing we can call our own. This is a truth that some Christians do not seem to fully grasp. Everything we have is only that which we have received from the Lord. 1 Cor. 4:7 asks these questions, “For who makes you to differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?”

     We came into this world with nothing and we will take nothing with us when we die (1 Timothy 6:7). Therefore, should we not be asking ourselves, “Am I prepared to give away what my Master has given so freely to me to use in His service?”  When the opportunity presents itself for us to share, will we recognize this as an overruling of the Lord, who in this way  is  asking  us  to  share  our  lunch  with others less fortunate?  Our meager five loaves and two fish may meet just the need others have.  We all have received much at the Hand of our generous Lord. Let us be very sure that we do not receive the grace of God in vain (2 Corinthians 6:1).


                                     G. Boccaccio @CDMI