The Better Blessing

It’s summertime in Peru.

And a team of sixteen of us have just returned home with what Jesus called “the better blessing.”

And that’s because we had the opportunity to give—to give of our time, our abilities, our resources, and our love.

The Rock partners with a small church in the dry and dusty city of Trujillo—an hour’s flight from Lima, 835 miles south of the equator.

Yes, it’s a small church, but they’re doing big things for the Lord.

It’s the usual report you hear regarding the Third World:

These Believers don’t have much in the way of material goods, and their lives are far from easy, but you’d never know that by their joyful countenances and their exuberant worship services.

I can never visit Christians living in impoverished countries and not feel thoroughly humbled and completely convicted.

It’s nobody’s fault, of course, for being born into affluence (comparatively speaking) or favored with a comfortable life filled with modern conveniences.

But if we take to heart the struggle of fellow Believers in developing nations, we ought to live with the greater humility, overflowing gratitude, and fear and trembling regarding our accountability to God, since “much has been given, and much will be required” (Luke 12:48).

So.

Calvary Trujillo doubles as a Christian fellowship slash Bible college whose primary purpose is to equip men and women for the ministry and send them out all over South America.

And God’s blessing their efforts!

Part of the way He does that is by stirring up the generosity of the American Church—to share some of the abilities and resources with which He’s blessed us, in order that we might provide for what they are lacking.

I like to think of missions this way:

We hold the rope, send the supplies, provide assistance, so that those called to the work can repel down into the ravine and accomplish the rescue.

The Great Commission is all about teamwork, isn’t it?

So, The Rock had a two-fold goal in Trujillo:

(1) We would bring a team to build a new men’s dorm and (2) I would teach a week-long class through the book of Ephesians.

There were nonstop opportunities to replace tools, buy appliances, repair vehicles—whatever the need, we wanted to meet it.

And it’s because God has first enriched us; He has given us the desire, ability to make a difference, so to Him be all the glory!

Our suitcases were loaded with commentaries, clothes, food stuffs, along with specialty items they aren’t able to obtain or afford in Peru.

And they were blessed!
But we were blessed more!

There are various reasons why it’s more blessed to give, but here’s a fun one:

“Give,” Jesus said, “and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap.” (Luke 6:38).

So yeah, we can’t outgive God, as we like to say.

And, of course, we don’t give in order to get, but it doesn’t hurt our motivation any knowing that our generosity to others begets God’s generosity to us!

The Bible is clear:

The act of giving ourselves away is an investment in our own well-being.

And it doesn’t stop there.

Giving is superior to receiving because receiving is passive—it requires no moral discipline on our part, no effort to please God.

You just receive. You smile, say thank you, end of story.

But for the one who’s giving—it’s different.

Giving requires exerting effort, and sometimes a measure of faith, and usually some kind of sacrifice—all of which are praiseworthy in the eyes of heaven.

Not to mention that when we give and bless (in particular) God’s people, Jesus promises reward:

“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water (small encouragement) to one of these little ones (weak and struggling) who is my disciple, that person will  surely be rewarded” (Mark 10:42).

We need to excel in the grace of giving because by it…

We grow in character.
We exercise faith.
We obey God’s Word.

We kill our selfishness.
We feel His joy.

We receive back from God.
We accrue future reward.

Not to mention, it’s a very cool thing to put a smile on someone’s face, and even cooler when that someone is God.

At the end of our time, one of the missionaries who serve there took me aside to thank us again.

“We were so blessed by your team!” he said with a crackle in his voice.

I said, “Brother, we were blessed much more.”

… remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”