WHAT IF BENEVOLENCE WAS TREATED LIKE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING?

Holiday Hustle..Bustle…FUSStle

Have you noticed that people treat Christmas shopping like a duty, an obligation… almost like a job?

One person will ask…

“Have you finished your Christmas shopping?”

“Are you ready for Christmas?”

and another will answer…

“No, I HAVE , GOT to get it done!”

During this season, people spend enough money to make or break many retailers’ fiscal year…

During this time of year some people are prepared because they’ve saved for the holiday…

During this time of year some people spend money they can’t afford in order to buy presents…

During this time of year some people borrow money and end up paying for this Christmas into and beyond the next.

Are any of these people you?

Think about the fervor, the diligence, the stress….

Think of the hustle, the bustle, the FUSStle…

Consider this. What if people approached benevolence with the same attitude they approach the holiday?

Have you given to the poor? homeless? needy? orphaned?

Have you visited the sick? lonely? imprisoned?

No, but I HAVE GOT to get started!!!!

If we, in the Body of Christ, approached cheerful, unobligated giving all year as we do at Christmas…what kind of world would this be?

2 Corinthians 9:7 (NKJV)

7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Just think about it…

Matthew 25: 31-46

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy[c] angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44 “Then they also will answer Him,[d] saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Be a blessing beyond December…

BE BLESSTIFIED!