Daily Thought for Tuesday, July 19th

July 19, 2011

Being Benevolent

Today’s Thought:

“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give” – Winston Churchill

Today’s Quotes:

“The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose.” – Hadia Bejar

 

Today’s Question

Is charity or benevolence simply a giving of the excess that you don’t really need?  Or could the truest form of benevolence be something like this: “Charity is a bone shared with the dog when you are just as hungry as the dog?” – Jack London

Today’s Bible Verses:                  Isaiah 58:4-7

Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?  Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

Today’s Spiritual Thought:

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” – The Bible (Acts 20:35)

What does it mean to be benevolent?  According to Webster’s Dictionary; “Benevolence is having a disposition to do good; to be kind; or to be charitable.”

Jesus is the greatest example of a benevolent person, I can think of. He gave up Heaven to come and live on the earth.  He lived without the accouterments and refinements of which He was accustomed to in Heaven to be a carpenter who never amassed great wealth.  And while His life was a perpetuated testimony of giving of Himself:  His ultimate act of benevolence was when He gave His life for our sins.  He paid a debt He did not owe; and make salvation possible for those who could never obtain it nor be worthy of it by their own merits or endeavors.

God seldom requires that degree of benevolence from us, but He does want us to love one another; to look out for each other, and to help, when and where we can with whatever we have to give

:”There are eight degrees of almsgiving.  Supreme above all is to give assistance to a fellow man who has fallen on evil times by presenting him with a gift or loan, or entering into a partnership with him or procuring him work, thereby helping him to become self-supporting.  Next best is giving alms in such a way that the giver and recipient are unknown to each other.  This is indeed the performance of a commandment from disinterested motives.” – Moses Maimonides

When it comes to being benevolent or charitable, however, maybe the best thoughts for us to bear in mind are these:

“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” – The Bible (Matthew 25:34-46)

Today’s Prayer:

Father, remind me that I have been so blessed and have been given so much; and help me to be more like the Good Samaritan willing to help those I see in need rather than passing by with good intentions.