Charity Has Eternal Rewards

"Are you living for the Lord or for yourself?"  - Watchman Nee

When we think of the word charity, it may bring to mind donating money, clothes, old books, or doing volunteer work. And, while all of these are certainly good, public-spirited works; charity has a far deeper and long-lasting impact on the life of a believer

To be fair, more of us are charitable than not. But, as I mentioned, it is so much more than actions such as writing a check, or contributing canned goods to the food drive. Today, let's look at just how this applies to our relationship with Jesus Christ,

In Acts 9:36-43 we are presented a female disciple known by two names Tabitha, her Aramaic name, and the more familiar Dorcas, her Greek name. Dorcas lived in Joppa, a seaport on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. She was a disciple who had accepted the faith of Christ, a was baptized.

Dorcas was a humble, teachable, kind-hearted and compassionate woman who was especially known to the poor for her good works and acts of love (Acts 9:36). She demonstrated her faith time and time again by her good works. Dorcas not only talked the talk of charity, but walked the walk (Proverbs 19:17; Galatians 2:10)

It's a pretty good bet that she had been left a widow in a very harsh and demanding world. Even so, she never displayed any bitterness about her situation. Nor did she question God's wisdom or His goodness. Needless to say, she was much loved by all in her community (Proverbs 11:25).

If you read the rest of this story, Dorcas became ill and then died. She was greatly missed and mourned by those around her. Eventually, she was resurrected by Peter who had been summoned from a nearby town by other believers that knew her (Acts 9:38-42).

But, the spotlight here is not so much on her resurrection, which was a miraculous act of God. Instead, we should use Dorcas' life as and example how to live a life of good works and charity. Many express their desire to do so, but find excuses not to and, thus, never follow through.

We perform many acts in this life to satisfy our own needs. Often, they are self-indulgent and temporary. Am I saying that we shouldn't enjoy this life which God has blessed us with? Of course not. But, real acts of charity, done in the name of Jesus, will endure long after you and I are gone (1 Corinthians 13:8).

Scripture: Acts 20:35; Hebrews 13:16; 1 John 3:17; Proverbs 21:13; John 13:34-35

Prayer: Dear Jesus, may I serve others rather than being served as You taught us. Only acts of true love and kindness, done in Your name, will last eternally. Amen

Have a blessed day!

Kasey