To love is to give

It is heartening to see that my 'Compassion' article has moved the hearts of some and spurred my 2 young friends into action.

The same message about compassion rings in the spreading of the Gospel.

"Kelly, we are already doing missions cos our resources are in Vietnam, remember?" She smiled. I can sense genuine joy and satisfaction exuding from her bashful face. We have begun to embark on our first mission trip by sowing into needy lives and now, we are moving on to the next...

Today marks the beginning of our Missions Pledge for 2004. It is not just a season for missions or for giving. It is not as if there was never a spark for revival before but it calls for more focus and finances now, because we are living in borrowed time. This season will never pass, until every single person in the world has heard of Jesus. Are you ready to go or give?

The Maslow Scale of Needs illustrates the various levels of human needs as: physiological needs (fundamental survival), safety/order needs (security, stability, reliance on order, freedom from fear and anxiety), social needs (love, affection and belongingness), esteem needs (self-respect or esteem of others) and eventually, self-actualization.

Maslow saw that the lower needs may be satisfied but that discontent and restlessness may remain for the individual. Self-actualization, the topmost level of the pyramid, means actualizing one's potential becoming all one is capable of becoming and that involves a purpose beyond himself.

The wealthy, the sufficient and the educated are easily at this stage but certainly not those perpetually in lack, the sick or the unschooled. Without meeting or fulfilling their basic needs, the hearts of people have little desire to look beyond themselves and hence, have no room for God.

To love is to give. Demonstrate the love of Christ by giving. Give, so that the city can be a soul brighter. Give, so that someone will not plunge into a Christless eternity. There is so much you can offer. Simply put what you have into the Master's hand and He'll multiply it.

"So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase." - 1 Corinthians 3:7