Meditations from Zion

Luke 11:41
But [dedicate your inner self and] give as donations to the poor of those things which are within [of inward righteousness] and behold, everything is purified and clean for you. [Amplified]

This is powerful stuff: giving from within. This is a type of giving of oneself that has no obligation attached to it. This is freely giving. This is giving without worry or fear. This is giving of our time, energy and knowledge. This is giving our love.

We have too often translated the word “giving” into money. God is not interested in our money. I just had a mind picture of myself standing before Jesus and handing him a wad of dollars. Oh, he took the money but he simply handed it off. He kept none of it. But he was still standing there, waiting for me to give the stuff that really counts. To give from within.

I think my biggest fear is becoming empty. I am afraid if I give too much, there will be nothing left. But this is exactly where Christ comes in…. literally. He cannot (or will not) fill a place we keep cluttered with “stuff.” When Jesus asked the rich man to give away his possessions [Matthew 19:15-19], it was the physical manifestation of emptying oneself. In the same way that we hold on to our things, we hold onto our inner selves, our hearts.

Instead of “keep away,” today I should play “give away.”