Sharing of what I have is important. I should remember that God provides what I need and everything else is just extra that takes up space. What then should I be doing with the extra?

“¹⁵Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. ¹⁶Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” – Hebrews 13:15-16 (ESV)

I see now. I should be sharing to the point of sacrifice. Once I have all that I need, I am to remember to share everything else with those around me. I am to be content with the provisions of my need and the extra I should be sharing with others.

How do we know we are sharing to the point of sacrifice?

This is a valid question that I believe I may know the answer, based on this and other passages.

“¹¹And he answered them, ‘Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.’” – Luke 3:11 (ESV)

“²Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. ³Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” – Hebrews 13:2-3 (ESV)

I see here that I should be willing to give half of what I have to others as I may not know who I am ultimately serving. I am only responsible to serve, not to worry with who I am serving as long as my motives are rooted in the pleasing of God. I don’t know about you, but if I am sharing half, that is certainly a sacrifice for me. I should go back to remember that God gives to our NEEDs and if he is calling us to give half to others, then I do not NEED that half to serve Him.

Serving and/or sharing to the point of sacrifice is our call to action in praising and serving God. It is my duty to do so with a glad heart and remember the points of provision that come from God as a result.

When you are sharing with others, what are your parameters? Are you willing to give half of your possessions in service to others? Are you willing to share to the point of sacrifice?

I am reminded of the words of parents everywhere before disciplining the child: “This will hurt me more than it will hurt you.” When hearing those words, it is difficult to fathom what is meant by them as the one giving is not having to endure the pain of receiving.

Until I grew older and then understood. I was not taking into account the pain that was being felt from the fact that the discipline was required for actions taken that were not pleasing or in line with what had been taught. The internal pain of knowing that my child did not utilize the knowledge that had been given whether intentional or not, gives an initial feeling of failure, and how many of us like to fail.

“¹⁰For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. ¹¹For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” – Hebrews 12:10-11 (ESV)

Reading the words in Hebrews, I see that discipline is necessary for the good of the child, and it is good for the parent as well. Now both have the opportunity to share in the experience together and grow from it. Sharing the reward that comes once the discipline is complete provides so much joy for both the parent and the child. Less discipline is needed as they get older as they have learned from the discretion they engaged in before and therefor avoid them for the future.

How much better am I when I learn from God through the discipline He provides. It is painful for me to experience at the time, however I learn and therefor avoid the same mistake in the future. God shares my pain as He feels the disappointment in my failure and the fact that He has to carry out the discipline in the first place. But, the two of us get to share in the glory that comes from my learning and the idea that I will not (or at least should not) make the same mistake again in the future.

When you are on the receiving end of discipline, what is going through your mind? Are you thinking of the disappointment you have caused for the one delivering the discipline and the hurt that comes with that disappointment? Are you able to share the immediate pain and subsequently the joy in the future outcomes from the discipline?

When asked about the greatest influence in my life I tend to gravitate to speaking about mom, teachers, or coaches as they are the ones on the ground and in the trenches with me. But what about Jesus?

“¹Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in the heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, ²who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house.” – Hebrews 3:1-2 (ESV)

I have been missing out on lifting up the greatest influence in my life, Jesus. He is the one that I work to be like each day. He is who I want to be an example for others to view and ask about. So why would I not exclaim Jesus as the greatest influence in my life?

I have to consider the question. Is it because I am afraid? Am I embarrassed? Will I be mocked? Will I be persecuted? Will I have to explain why? All of those questions are valid and all of them are simply excuses for me to duck and cover.

If I am honest with myself, it is that I am not bold enough. I am not the Type A Controlling personality that others are and therefor spend a lot of time analyzing and calculating. Without that boldness, I am waiting for someone to come to me instead of taking the lead as Christ did and go to them.

A few years ago a chose the word “Stand” as my word of the year. And what I learned is to be more assertive, up front, and confident in saying what needs to be said. I will say that where I have been able to be more in the front of the group and outspoken, I have not taken that same approach in every aspect of my life, such as sharing Jesus.

I will be remedying that going forward. When asked about the influences in my life, mom, teachers, and coaches are still on the list, however Jesus is not at the top of that list. I will not be afraid. I will not concern myself with embarrassment. I will not worry about being mocked. I will invite persecution. I will embrace explaining why. I am proud to be a child of God and as such I am proud to share Jesus.

Who influences your life? If Jesus is on the list, where does He rank? What would it take for you to be bold enough to share Jesus as the lead influence in you life?

Receiving something from someone is something that I am sure that we all enjoy. Getting a check in the mail, the neighbor brings over a pie to welcome you to the neighborhood, an unexpected free item thanking you for your purchase, or that shout-out from a colleague are all pretty cool.

“¹¹that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” – Philippians 3:11 (ESV)

See the words written by Paul stating that “by any means possible” we would like those things to come about. I will admit that receiving those things are nice and whereas I believe I am willing to do almost anything to receive them, am I really willing to truly pay the price? Am I willing to suffer in all to receive it all?

“¹⁰that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,” – Philippians 3:10 (ESV)

Receiving something is nice and certainly something that I am willing to do. I will take my spoils and run to the bank, tell those around me, and exclaim on high, but am I really willing to work for it? What did I do to “deserve” that reward? Was I willing to suffer through the bad times and work my way through the adversity to receive it?

I have been given the gift of salvation, which is the ultimate gift. I have received it fully and am grateful that I will receive my reward in heaven as a culmination of that gift. But I have work to do here yet. God has me here for a reason and I am obligated to fulfill that reason and complete my tasks.

It will not be easy and I will likely suffer whether physically, emotionally, personally, or financially. I should be taking the same approach as Paul, knowing that it is for the spreading of the gospel and not personal. My suffering is necessary for me to fully share in the suffering of Christ even up to His death on the cross.

In order for me to fully receive the blessings from Christ, I must share in the suffering, the difficulty, the adversity, and all else that comes with being a child of God. Even as I have received the gifts from God, to enjoy them, I must do the work which includes suffering to understand more what Christ gave for me.

When you look at your receipts, have you really done the work for them? Have you embraced the work still needed? Are you willing to share in the suffering of Christ as you receive your gift of salvation?

“²⁸Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” – Ephesians 4:28 (ESV)

How good does it feel to give? I find it so satisfying to pass something on to others and see the authentic gratitude on their faces, when there was not expectation that they were going to receive.

And where does that passed on come from? My own pockets and honest gains. In my job, I receive gift cards for the work that I do that goes above and beyond the role of my job. They are not large is monetary value and for me are just extra that I was not expecting to receive. That said; I have on a number of occasions given those gift cards away to others that have demonstrated a need by simply stating the need or in the way their demeanor is at the time. The joy and gratitude they exhibit is so rewarding for me and gives me the drive to do it again.

As I think of the joy I feel and why, I cannot help but think that those that are giving away something that is not theirs (the thief) feels basically nothing and the gift is more of a financial transaction that really means nothing to them in the grand scheme of things. There is nothing to feel as that which they “gift” was not theirs to give anyway.

Yes, there is positive impact to those that I have given to, but the real benefit is to me. I take something of mine, transfer to someone else, and my heart is filled with the joy and honor of providing for someone else. Not out of obligation, but out of love, care, and service for others in the interest of being the example of Christ.

I am excited for the opportunity to share what I have earned, not for any accolades or recognition from the outside world, but out of service to others and providing for their needs. My family has been blessed with enough for us to make it and whereas we have received from others more fortunate as they gave to us out of service, we are now in that position and will share all that we receive with others as we pay it forward out of service. I will continue gaining and in that will also continue giving.

What are your thoughts about those that give from ill gotten gains? How do you feel when giving to those in need? What is the change in your feelings when you are giving from your honest gains?

“⁶One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches.” – Galatians 6:6 (ESV)

This seems like such a simple verse and that is what I thought at first. I will say that after reading through it a few times, I was less confident in what God had planned for me through these words. I spent time reviewing the verses of reference (Romans 15:27 and 1 Corinthians 9:6) only to read too much into the words and further confuse myself.

Then, I read the commentary from my ESV Bible and I was able to understand. “Paul instructs the church to support its teachers materially—with food, money, and whatever good things are appropriate.” And it hit me. Our “good things” are those that are in excess of what I need. And those things I am instructed to share my excess with others and those others are identified as those who teach the Word of God.

With the exception of a few staff members, those that teach the Word of God are volunteers and are giving of their time and love to bring the gospel to me. I am receiving the gifts they are giving. They are simply following the path that they have been provided by Christ. I am on the receiving end of those gifts and it is up to me to share with them to demonstrate that their giving is not in vain.

I know of those in the world that have taken the approach of “serving God and getting rich”, but they are the minority of those that serve our LORD. I do not know a pastor or minister that serves for themselves. In fact I was a member of a pastor search committee and the pastor that we called referenced that what we were offering financially was not what he was hoping for, but in the very next statement said that he was called to serve and not to get rich. That pastor did not want for anything while at our church as the congregation made sure they shared with his family.

Those that give to us the Word of God are not in it for themselves, they are in it as service to God. It is my duty to be sure that they are taken care of by sharing my “good things” with them where I can.

When you are looking to those who share with you God’s Word, are you aware of their service? Are you looking to get from them without reciprocating back? Will you look to share with those who give the Word of God to you?

Is there enough of God to go around for all of us? YES!!!

“²¹For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. ²²Not then the kindness and the severity of God: Severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.” – Romans 11:21-22 (ESV)

God gives to all of us and will continue to do so as long as we remain in Him.

“⁵I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5 (ESV)

I am tied to God and have the privilege of experiencing all that He has for me when I am a part of Him. And those that are not naturally a part of God, have the same opportunities to share in His nourishment and love.

“¹⁷But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree,” – Romans 11:17 (ESV)

I may not have started as a part of the family of God, as we all did not, but I had the opportunity to become a part of the family. I was accepted as I was added with care.

Graft: ²to implant (living tissue) surgically. Merriam-Webster Online

I was added to the family of God surgically as a living being. I was accepted by the living God into the family and cared for as of an original part. As God cares for the family, so will He care for me and give me the opportunity to live and grow from the nourishment that He provides. I get to share in all of God with all of those that have come before me and all of those that come after me.

I have to be sure and remember that I must do my part and maintain my belief as a member of the family or I could be cut off as those that were naturally a part of the family. And those that were a part of the family have the opportunity to be added back if they recover their true belief.

“²⁴For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree…¹⁸do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who supports the root, but the root that supports you.” – Romans 11:24 & 18 (ESV)

I am called to share in the nourishment provided by God. As noted in verse 18 above, I do not support God, it is He who supports me.

When you look at your life, do you feel as though you belong to God? Are you working to make God look good through your support? Are you sharing in the support and nourishment that God provides for you instead?

How much is needed in order to feel and or be provided? I know that there is this thought that we need so much in order to comfortable in our lives. But what is needed to be comfortable?

“¹¹And he answered them, ‘Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.’ ¹²Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, ‘Teacher, what shall we do?’ ¹³And he said to them, ‘Collect no more than you are authorized to do.’ ¹⁴Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what shall we do?’ And he said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.’” – Luke 3:11-14 (ESV)

Ultimately I have to determine how much is enough, but God’s Word will certainly provide directions as it does here in Luke. If I have 2 of something, I should be sharing one of them. I should be content with what I earn and put it to good use in my life. There is nothing wrong with looking for more, however I have to be sure that I am achieving the more in the right way and not at the expense or to the detriment of others. If I have more, I should look to share more as well.

John the Baptists is sharing with the people as he is baptizing them. He is reminding them of their duty as Christians and how they should be going about their lives. No matter the position I am in, I have a duty to share with others. I may not have monetary items to give great amounts, but I can serve and treat others with Christ-like love in each and every situation.

I titled this study “If Excess Then Share”. I believe that there are those that are looking for more than they need thinking that will somehow improve their status or standing in the world. I have fallen into that trap in the past and have to take a strong look at myself daily to be sure that I am using what God provides to the advancement of Him. When I look at the how, I have to look at the what I have been granted and then how can I share that with those around me.

What is your approach to earnings out there in the world? How are you using what God has blessed you with? Are you sharing the excess that you have been provided?

Getting distracted is extremely common and even joked about often, even in my own home. One of our boys gets distracted easily and because of it, he has been nicknamed “Squirrel”. I know that I struggle as man staying on task and as such I struggle getting thing completed.

“⁴No soldier gets entangle in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.” – 2 Timothy 2:4 (ESV)

Paul, writing to Timothy, is encouraging him to stay on task. Understand and know what he is working toward and stick with it. As a young man, Paul knew that Timothy would be easily distracted by what was being presented to him. Whether it be the “ways of the world”, riches, or the like, Timothy would be tested to get involved and in doing so, may not recognize the depth of his involvement. Paul simply reminded Timothy to be aware and remember why he was there and to whom he ultimately reported, The LORD.

I find sometimes a need to take a step back and remember reasons for what I am doing. Am I doing for my own satisfaction? What about to self aggrandizing? Or looking for someone to put me on a pedestal? I have to remember that I am here to please God and everything I do should take be toward the purpose.

I am just a man and need those reminders to stay on task. The world is a very intriguing place and will test all that I am. Satan is there at every turn to turn me away from God and my purpose of pleasing Him. He wants nothing more than to distract me from my task to build himself up and draw attention away from God and the glory, blessings, provisions, and love He gives each day.

I should not ignore, or avoid getting involved in the world around me. After all, the people around me are in that world and as a disciple of Christ, it is my duty to bring the gospel to them. What I do have to remember is just that. I have a duty to bring the gospel to the world and in doing so that will please God.

What tasks are you being distracted by? How can you get back to the task of pleasing God? What can you do to stay on the task that is your purpose, to please God?

“⁹Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, ¹⁰for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more,” – 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 (ESV)

Most leaders know that if you want a focus on something that you simply highlight it and everything else is drowned into the background as that highlighted item is brought to “light”. I was taught once from a leader of mine that “if you see something you like, recognize it and you will see more of it”. This seeing something you like is what Paul is doing here. Drawing attention to the great work being done puts a focus on it for continued action.

What Paul did was to encourage them to continue doing well and urges them to do more of it in the name of Christ.

“¹Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:1 (ESV)

Paul demonstrates what right looks like for us as Christians here. He is clear in that pleasing and walking with God are instructions given. Then he acknowledges the work being done and encourages them to do more of it.

What kind of work have you seen done? Would you consider those things something that Christ would like? Would you urge and encourage more of it in the interest of pleasing God?