We serve others because we love God, and He has called us to love our neighbors. Loving others may include serving family members, friends, or the church. However, there is a kind of giving that goes beyond helping those we know and we like. The below scripture shows the significance of this type of giving:
for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Matthew 25:35-40
When we give to strangers or to those incapable of repaying us, Jesus is pleased with us. This is the true form of spiritual giving. Jesus goes so far as to say that when we give to strangers, we are doing it as unto Him. Our giving to the poor and the strangers becomes an act of worship as unto the Lord. It is a place of humility and thanksgiving to God.
In addition, when we give to those who cannot repay us, we represent the heart of God to people. We become the Lord’s hands and feet to a dying world who needs to know Him. How will unbelievers get to know God unless they see individuals who selflessly go out of their way to help someone? We are His servants on the earth serving God by touching people’s lives. We are there to show the love of God rather than getting a recognition or an applause out it.
This type of generosity takes us to deeper places of fellowship with God where we hear His voice, sense His pleasure, and feel His comfort. We move into new realms of intimacy with God because the door is shut to the applause of man. In the secret place, we are enjoying His presence and His love in a new and profound way.
