Purpose Study Bible 175: Sharing Who You Are

Last week, we learned that we are not only to put out our gifts and talents for hire but we are also to use them to help the poor and oppressed. Let's revisit those verses for another lesson:

"For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt" (Deuteronomy 10:17-19).

God is generous toward those who have little, giving them food and clothing and defending their cause. He expects you to be generous as well, freely devoting your time and talent to help them where and when you can. A good example of this is a woman in the New Testament: "In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor" (Acts 9:36). What exactly was she doing? "All the widows stood around him [Peter], crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them" (Acts 9:39). She was a seamstress and devoted her skills to help others in need.

This woman didn't sell clothes for the poor or get paid for her services. Instead, she used her creative gifts to design and make garments for them, thus distinguishing herself in the sight of God. You're now expected to follow in her footsteps. Are you being generous with your gifts or do you only utilize them if you are paid to do so? What can you do that will help those in need besides giving money? How can you do more of it? God is a generous God and wants you to emulate His example by fulfilling the words of Jesus: "Freely you have received; freely give" (Matthew 10:8b).