Useful Benevolence

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

The greatest proof of the presence of the Holy Spirit in an individual or a congregation is the expression of love. But what is love? Today we’ll continue to look at Holy Spirit directed love as found in the love chapter of the Bible….1 Cor 13!

One of the things that showcases love is kindness. (1 Cor 13:4) This kindness is summed up with two words, “useful benevolence.” The key being “useful.”

 

When the church had just begun to form after the Day of Pentecost, this type of useful benevolence was evident and summed up in  Ac 2:44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,  45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

 

It was all about meeting needs in a useful way. This was proof positive of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the church.

 

No one is asking you to sell your house and give all the proceeds to your church, but we ought to pause and consider how we can use the material goods that God has blessed us with in a way that is useful to others.

 

 Pr 3:27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so.

 

And even more to the point we read in  Ga 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

 

 This kindness makes a tremendous impact on those outside the faith as Jesus pointed out in  Joh 13:35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

 

When you get right down to it, the essence of agape love in the Bible is not necessarily giving people what they want, but it always involves giving people what they need! And that my friend, is useful benevolence! That is kindness.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.