Sometimes the little we can give seems so small and inadequate. But in God’s hand even this small amount becomes a blessing. And there are some things we can share that we have in abundance, as District Apostle Peter Lambert from South Africa illustrates.
When deciding on a course of action, it is normal to consider the cost of that action. One would ask: Do I have the capacity and the resources—materially or otherwise—to do this? While we have collectively received the exhortation from our Chief Apostle to do good, it requires a personal decision to act on that exhortation. In making this decision, not every individual may feel themselves equally capable of doing good. Thoughts could arise such as: I do not have as much as others—do I really have enough to do good? Would my small contribution make any difference? When one considers the unequal access to resources among people, such thoughts are understandable.
Yet, when the exhortation to do good is inspired by the Holy Spirit, we want to view it from a godly perspective. The account of the feeding of the five thousand by Jesus (John 6: 1–14) greatly adds to such a perspective:
- When Jesus saw the multitude approaching, He spoke about buying food for them. At that point, He had no food to give them, but He already had great compassion for their needs. He remained compassionate when He was subsequently informed that the quantity of food available was desperately inadequate. Faced with a shortage of resources, Jesus displayed an abundance of compassion! We do not all have the same resources, or the same gifts and talents, but we can all develop an abundance of compassion for the needs of our neighbour, like Jesus did.
- Jesus gave thanks for the food before He distributed it. Even though the food was not enough to begin with, He expressed gratitude for it. Here, too, we can learn from our Saviour: faced with a shortage of resources, He displayed an abundance of gratitude! Everything we have, whether little or much, is by God’s grace only.
- The food was supplied by a young boy, who was willing to give it to Jesus even though it was hopelessly insufficient. In the hands of Jesus, that small contribution became a blessing for many. We all have limitations to how much we can do for others, but we can all respond positively to the Spirit-inspired exhortation to do good. We can trust our heavenly Father to bless our contributions as He wills.
- After Jesus fed the multitude, they followed Him, and He advised them to seek food that endures forever (John 6: 26-27). He would not allow the spectacular miracle of feeding their bodies to obscure His real mission: to give them eternal life. Our compassion for our neighbour should include their temporal and their spiritual needs. As God’s people, we have no shortage of the Bread of Life – let us share it in abundance!
In answer to the question, Do I have enough to do good? we can echo the words of Apostle Paul: “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9: 8)