Real Reward

by Danny A. Tariman

“Lend, expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great.” – Luke 6:35

“A ‘neighbor’ is borrowing money,” my wife would email once in a while. This “neighbor” can be a relative or a friend.

Oftentimes, the borrower is really in need. And we would think of just giving the money instead of lending it.

We would tell that person that it’s our way of helping, not a debt that he would have to pay.

And every time we do this, there are immediate rewards. We feel blessed that we have extra money to help others with. (It’s better to have money to spare than none, right?)

We are blessed to be a channel of God’s provision to persons in need.

We are blessed with the overflow of thanksgiving from the person we helped.

We feel liberated that we do not have to worry about when he will pay us back.

We have this confidence that we can ask our Father for the “great reward” as He had promised in the passage above.

And this is the real great blessing: the Word of God says that when you give to the needy, “the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake” (Deuteronomy 19:9).

Reflection: Do you struggle to give when someone needy asks you for financial help?

Lord, teach me to be generous. Let me be a channel of Your love. Amen.

[This reflection was first published in Didache Daily Bible Reflections 12 Sept 2013, and in http://www.kerygmafamily.com ]