Brown's Daily Word 1-28-10

Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. We had a very blessed Wednesday evening of fellowship and Bible study. I have shared before that my grandfather was the first Christian in my village. He did not know how to read or write, but he loved the Lord with all his heart, and he was man of prayer. He knew the stories of the Old Testament heroes, and of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I heard about Jacob from my grandfather and my uncle when I was very young. I remember the stories about Jacob and Rebekah the way they were told to me by my grandfather and my uncle.
In Genesis 24:10-24:27 you can read about how Abraham sent out his servant to find a wife for his son, Isaac. It was a monumental task. The servant decided to choose a woman who not only would give him a cup of water, but who would water his camels as well. He wanted to find a woman who would add value to him on his journey. Such a woman would make a good life partner for Isaac. You might call this the Rebekah Principle. Rebekah went the extra mile. Her generosity stands in stark contrast to the prevailing attitudes today. Her life seemed to say, I’ll do what you ask me to do, then I’m going to do something more.
Today, people seem to say, I’m going to do the least that is expected of me. To be more like Rebekah, we need to keep in mind that we cannot be generous and legalistic at the same time. Rebekah did more than what was required or expected. Her generous spirit was unusual. In the end, legalism always leaves people feeling miserable, either unbearably arrogant or incurably insecure. Rebekah teaches us not to keep score, but rather just keep giving.
One principle that is true in our lives is that we cannot walk the second mile until we have walked the First. It’s easy for people to talk about the great and generous things they intend to do in the future, but if they are not being generous with what they have now, it is unlikely they will suddenly change in the future. Rebekah started her service by first doing the task that was asked of her, to give the servant a cup of water. Only when she finished that task did she take care of the camels. Rebekah's generosity teaches us that we will become what we are becoming right now.
Sometimes it is more difficult to walk the “first mile” than the second mile. Just getting started gives us the impetus to continue. Let us remember also that extra blessings result grom extra effort.
How easy it would have been for Rebekah to give the stranger a drink, and then lower her jar and continue on to her home. That would have been both fair and nice. It also would have been convenient. Before she offered to be generous—she must have considered the time and effort it would take to water the stranger's camels. That team of camels might have taken a couple of hours to care for, carrying buckets of water back and forth.
Why do we merely do that which is asked of us. Why do we not go the extra mile and do the unexpected? When We Give Generously, the impact of our generosity often outlives us. At the moment of giving, you cannot imagine how your actions will impact the lives of others in the future. Rebekah had no idea that her generosity that day would open the door for a marriage to Isaac, and she became part of the line of Christ! Because generously adding value to others is rare—the impact of that generosity lingers long after we’re gone. Sometimes, it outlives us both now and in eternity.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twuLr5rQmp0