Leviticus 19:19-10
“‘When you reap the harvest of
your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the
gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or
pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the
foreigner. I am the Lord your God.'"
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
More
than once, I’ve observed a child play with more toys than he/she could
possibly use. But if you asked him/her, “Are you using that?” or “Are
you about done with ABC?”…the child would say, “I need ALL of this!”
When kids are little, we try to teach them not to “hog” all of the
toys…to leave something for their siblings, friends, or classmates. But
somehow, as we grow up, this concept often flies right out the window.
We pretty much want it all – even the excess – and we’ll do just about
anything to make that happen!
We want all of our money…we don’t
want to share any with the poor or needy, and we grumble about paying
taxes and charitable giving. Woe to the person who asks us for a few
bucks to help XYZ! We pile our plates high with food and think nothing
of leaving half of it to be thrown out…but we give little or no thought
to feeding the hungry among us.
We are territorial…it is our
land…our “stuff”…our country…and we don’t want to share even a
postage-stamp-sized corner of it with anyone else! Even worse is how
greedy and selfish we are with our church. We don’t want anyone moving
in on our territory there, either…from our “positions” of
leadership and participation to our friendships with fellow members. We
greet those we know and love on Sunday mornings…and have nothing left
for a stranger or visitor.
There is a lot of “meat” in this
scripture passage from Leviticus about how we operate in greed and
selfishness…often without even thinking. Let’s take some time today to
examine our hearts and minds and see where we operate in excess. Ask
yourself where you might be stockpiling more than you need with no
consideration of the person who could really use it…everything from
tangible possessions to a friendly smile.
God has blessed us
with such abundance. There is no need to be stingy! How we treat these
gifts speaks volumes about our faith. This greatly defines our
relationship with God and demonstrates our confidence that His love is
for EVERYONE…and that He will always meet our every need.
What
are your attitudes and behaviors saying to others – and to God – about
your Christian faith? Are you ready to leave some of the “gleanings of
your harvest” for someone else? Don't you think it's time you did?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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