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Charity

Giving is a part of living. The source of life, Christ, gave so others could live.

A person can change so that they can live a more abundant life. For instance, a child can learn to ride a bike. They may resist learning to ride, and while learning they may skin their knees. Yet after having learned to ride, one can hardly keep them from the joy of riding.

The bicycle rider will even be anxious to invite others to join together to ride. The joy is so great that other children will be invited to ride even knowing that harm is associated with the venture.

If you give to charity will all of your troubles go away? No. You even take on more responsibilities.

If you give charitably to someone or to some group, those others who were not direct benefactors of your generosity may be very upset with you and even work to reduce the amount of your disposable income.

It hardly seems fair, doesn't it? Yet you have the satisfaction of having given; regardless of adverse consequences. But more importantly you gave. You gave and bore the burden.

You gave because you knew it was right. You created a motif for yourself or reinforced a pattern within yourself. You modified your thought patterns and created a new you in your image of what you thought you aught to be.

This changed you. This made you a better person in your own eyes, and hopefully in the eyes of everyone else; and hopefully in the eyes of God. For God's greater glory.

In normal sensibility, you did it to better glorify God. Even a corrupt person tries to curry favor among certain other people, or at least among various thoughts within their own head.

Knowing this you are aware of aim. You gave charitably so now you can be aware of and appreciate valuable direction and goals.

You gave and so you chose the path of love. Continuing on that path you found increasing reinforcement internally and externally, and you also found obstacles that worked to defeat all you learned and experienced.

Yet you know what is right. You know the right direction. You know what to do, but you don't want to have to start all over again. Relax, there is hope and comfort in Jesus Christ. You chose that which is good, Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ always chooses you. The right path is a gift from Jesus Christ to you. The burdens are also a gift to you from Jesus Christ. Use your gifts. Do everything you can to work your gifts to effectuate good and greater works.

Charity is not puffed up as a braggart. Charity serves others. You work hard to produce charity, the fruits of your labor. You become a vital part of the life of the community and world.

Via charity, your life takes on new meaning, for you and others. For direct benefactors of your charity, they may see direct benefits. And for those somehow aware that you gave to someone else or some group, they have the benefit of learning from your good example.

Your acts of charity teach you to give in other areas of your life. Some things people give are: cleaning of their homes for visitors, money, helping to change a tire for someone, helping an employer off the clock, Christmas presents, sending flowers, and so on.

As your charitable pattern strengthens, you discover new and better ways to give.

To help shed light on this point for you, here is a good example: I once gave ten dollars to a certain charity because of a certain momentary situation. That was all I had intended to give to that charity. Then that charity sent me many letters for further donations. Just their postage was more than ten dollars, plus there was the cost of envelopes and paper and their clerical labor. If that labor was volunteer, then it was even more costly, being a scarcity.

So whether or not to give to that charity is one matter. But what was discovered was that it is important that the charitable donation be in proportion to the recipient's situation.

Giving is a good start. Wise giving is even better. Not necessarilly relative to your situation, but to theirs.

You have certain talents you may wish to use charitably. What talents would the benefactors need? Isn't that the more important issue?

Charity teaches you to think of others rather than yourself. So without thinking of yourself, think of how charity teaches you to be like God.

Sermon by Bob Benchoff 7/8/01.

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