Move in the opposite spirit.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17)

We are surrounded by a bewildering and chaotic assortment of ‘messages’ today. Because they beam across the air, we don’t associate what we are seeing and hearing with giving and taking. We generally associate the idea of giving, taking or receiving- with physical things.

When one reflects upon the nature of God, one quickly realises that it pleases him greatly to give to humanity. In order to do this, God, the ultimate Creator, has filled the earth with his abundance. Abundance is a hallmark feature of God’s will for all things to be in harmony with his perfect balance, his perfect will. Scarcity is not God’s will for humanity. It is the spirit of the world and the nature of sin to take, not give.

“ Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

Thus through our giving and the nuances of receiving or taking, are we presented with one of the dichotomies of living our lives in a fallen world - where we can be materially rich, but morally and spiritually bankrupt. Or where the poorest of the poor might exude more joy and peace than someone who has never suffered any adversity; or situations where dedicated Christians are cruel, but dedicated Atheists are kind… It’s very confronting to get heart and mind around the intangibles of what we are given, and anxiety over what has been or can be taken from us, so most of the time we just withdraw from deeper self-reflection- to live life superficially.

We get away with superficiality until something physically, or mentally bad happens -or we watch, read or listen to something that provokes us to act. How we respond, therefore, is God’s litmus test. For believers, it involves our faith, our trust in the Lord and obeying his Living Word, which often comes with a caveat that we must move in the opposite spirit to the ‘messages’ of the world around us- to be led by the Holy Spirit, instead.

“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Hebrews 13:2)