More than once my son Ricky would come home without the shirt or jacket on that he worn to school. When he was asked, “What happen to your shirt?’ his response would be “I gave it to someone.” “Why?” I would ask, “They could not afford to buy one, so I let them have mine.”
Often we could not afford to replace the shirt or jacket with another, so Ricky would be without, he didn’t seem to mind because he continued giving things away. We tried not to fuss, after all isn’t it more blessed to give than to receive? One of the greatest areas most Christians struggle with is trying to hold on to the gifts and not the giver.
Paul’s prayer to the Christians at Thessalonica was for them to learn to abound in their love for one another. It is very hard to abound if we are not willing to let loose of the things we have such a strong grip on.
1 Thessalonians 3:10 Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith? 11Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. 12And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: 13To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.