Don’t Be Stingy

Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. (1 Thessalonians 2:8)
 
Last night, while I was studying in the kitchen, my kids came to me and asked if they could use my cell phone to order some food. I said, “Sure.” When the food arrived, they sat at the table around me and started eating their food. I was trying to study at the time, but it was difficult because I could smell their fries and sandwiches, and they even had the nerve to order my favorite, chocolate chip cookies.  
 
To make matters worse, these children made noises about how good the food was, but didn’t ask me if I wanted any. But here’s the part that really got me. When I asked them if I could have a taste of their food, they acted like they didn’t want to give me any. So I said, “Wow! I’m your father. I’m the one who helped bring you into this world. I’m the one who keeps a roof over your head, food on your table, and clothes on your back. And you’re going to treat me this way?”  
 
When they finally gave in and shared with me some of their sandwich, they held the sandwich because they wanted to control the bite. And when they gave me a fry, they each only rationed them out one at a time. So I finally took the fries, and said, “Don’t be so stingy. If what you have is so good, you should let me have some.”  
 
That’s what God is saying to the Church, “Don’t be so stingy.” What good is it to draw attention to the good God that we have, if we’re not going to tell everyone about it? Instead, we should be eager to share. We should have the mentality that the grace and love of the God we’ve experienced is so great that we want as many people as possible to experience it too. So don’t be stingy. Don’t keep the good news to yourself. Instead, share the love, grace, and mercy of God with others so that they might seek out a relationship with the Father as well.