Writing a check is easy. Perhaps the work of earning the money represented by the check is hard, but in terms of generosity and serving other people, writing a check is usually the easy part, especially for people with wealth. Time often feels much more costly to us in the developed world because money seems so replaceable, even in a slow economy.
Serving people, hands on and face-to-face, is hard. It requires that we get out of our comfort zone, risk rejection, do something inconvenient, and sacrifice the irreplaceable commodities of time and energy. But the Apostle Paul challenged us to expand our view of generosity to include our works and deeds. “Tell (the rich) to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.” (1 Timothy 6:18 NLT
The phrase “good works” comes from a Greek root word from which we get our word “energy.” And energy, like money, is something we can spend and invest in a variety of ways for a return. When you give financially, you’re letting physical resources go for the sake of storing up eternal treasure. The same is true when you let go of the physical resource of your own energy. Generosity is partly about giving but also about doing. And often, it’s about doing little things that make a big impact in the lives of others.
What good can you DO today?
