How much is owed to you? I’m not talking monetarily. How much is owed to you from this world? 
Too many people these days feel entitled without doing anything. You’ve got those on government assistance year after year. Squatters who take up residence in other peoples houses without paying. Employees who believe they’re owed a raise just for showing up for work every day, whether they do the work they were hired to do or not. People in the media who have absolutely no talent, except for getting their pictures taken. And don’t get me started on human traffickers and drug dealers who believe they are entitled to harm others just to make a buck.
Let me set the record straight. The world owes you NOTHING. You owe the world. And you owe God.
You owe the world to be the best you that you can be. That means not harming others by hurting them physically, emotionally, or financially. 2 Thessalonians 3:12 says, Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. This doesn’t mean to earn a living just to get off welfare. It also means to earn a living without shouting to the world how great you are. We have quite a few politicians who need to live by this creed.
And you owe God to spread the word about Jesus and to help those less fortunate. It’s nice to have a giant mega church with large parking garages and sub churches, but how many of those members go out in the world to help others? I often wonder how many actually help the poorer members of their own congregation. Quite frankly, if churches did their job, there wouldn’t need to be government assistance.
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Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first. – Mark Twain
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Too many Christians will write a check for people hurt in an earthquake across the ocean quicker than give five dollars to a homeless guy walking by. Some of that is because too many claim to be destitute when they’re not. However, if you don’t want to give cash, buy them food or keep five dollars in fast food certificates to hand out. Have a child with no father in your neighborhood? Be a mentor. Give them your attention instead of someone in the media. A lot of people living in nursing homes would love a visitor, even from a stranger.
It’s time we stopped holding our hands open for unearned gifts and instead hold our hands open to give, whether it be of our time, our talents, or our money. The more we give instead of take, the better the world will become.
If you or someone you know are in need of prayer this week, please let us know. We’d be more than happy to pray for you.
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