How to Live

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE

HOW TO LIVE

Luke 6:32-36

32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that.   34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

NIV

Love, doing good, and lending money are the three areas Jesus is dealing with. It appears Jesus is not that happy with a nice little church where all those are with each other and avoid at all costs getting involved with those dreaded sinners. As long as we love each other that is good enough and as long as we do something good that benefits each other we are spot on with the will of God. We are not sure about lending money to each other for it seems to me, that we all are pretty tight with our wallets or purses except when it comes to giving. I have been in many churches where the congregation is a very giving, in fact darn right generous, people for the needs of the church. From my own experiences with those in the church regarding lending money, I knew someone who said that he never gets financially involved with anyone because it ruins any chance of a relationship. Then, on the other hand, I had someone lend me money, with only three percent interest, what a friend he was indeed. Of course, then he felt that he had the right to overlook my life and any spending of funds that he thought was frivolous. I did whatever it took to pay him back in full and of course, our relationship was never the same, in fact, it ended. The love of money will always ruin any chance of a relationship in regard to lending. Jesus is giving us the instruction to go out in the world and be the light giving love to the unloved, being kind and compassionate to them, giving, instead of lending, when a need arises. It does not have to be millions, thousands, or hundreds; it can be simply a few coins sometimes. As I work at a self-checkout area, there have been times when a customer ends up short a quarter and asks to cancel one item. I have quarters in my pocket, and I put the quarter in and that is a thank you and I thank them for coming in the store today. Understand, I am not lifting myself up, just giving a real experience, of that once-in-a-while time of actually doing good, loving the sinner. I know a loving Christian man who keeps a five or ten-dollar bill in his wallet so that when he sees a person standing asking for help and senses the truth, without question, the bill is handed out. It is difficult at best, to be all that Jesus wants us to be, loving those who do not love us, doing good to them even though they will never do good to us. Giving, not lending, so there will be no chance of any strain in trying to be a friend to the unfriendly. And, of course, all we do we are not, or should not be doing it, looking for the great reward in heaven. We live this way just because we love Jesus.