Cold hard cash vs. warm tender love

I was talking about the joy of giving the other day to a young friend of mine. I told him that there was no more rewarding feeling than to help someone in need. He readily agreed and told me that recently he finally broke down and bought a new television set in order to receive HD quality just in time for football season.

Aside from the fact that his old TV was not new enough to have HD technology, there was nothing wrong with it. It was a very large TV and in perfect working order. My buddy needed to make room for his new TV so he considered selling his old one. Instead he decided to give it away to a needy family. He researched it and found a needy family that did not even have a television set (or much of anything else). Words cannot express the gratitude this family showered on my friend when he showed up to deliver that television set to them. There were real tears of joy and appreciation and little kids jumping around like rabbits I tell you.

Consider that my friend could have made a couple of hundred bucks on this TV, but he would not have taken a thousand dollars for the experience of bringing joy to this poor family. Who got the best of this deal? My friend will tell you it was him and not the needy family.

Giving is not just about helping those who receive our gifts; giving is also about what “we” receive in return too. The Bible tells us that God loves a cheerful giver. It also states unequivocally that God blesses those who help others and He will repay everyone who has pity on the poor. One blessing that is immediate is the awesome feeling that comes with helping someone less fortunate and knowing that you just made a difference in their difficult lives. Personally that feeling alone is more than adequate for me and all I could ever hope for as a blessing from God and in fact most every day I thank Him profusely for giving me the opportunity to help others.

The next time you bite the bullet and buy that special gift that you have been wanting for yourself, think about this before you consummate the deal. What if you did not trade in or sell that old car, but instead gave it to someone who did not have a car? Cold hard cash vs. warm tender love Now that is a test, is it not?

Proverbs 19:17
He who has pity on the poor
lends to the Lord,
And He will pay back what he
has given.