Generous Thankfulness
“If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.”
Acts 16:15
It was an offer he simply couldn’t refuse. Paul had preached. Lydia had believed. She and her household were baptized. Like all missionaries in those days, Paul needed a place to stay. So, Lydia said to him: “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” Lydia phrased it in such a way: If Paul didn’t take her up on her offer, he was denying a believing sister’s faith in Jesus. So, he simply had to stay with her and her family.
Isn’t that a wonderful pattern for us? We naturally say, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, please let me give a nice chunk of my income weekly in worship.” We say, “If you don’t want to deny the faith in Jesus that the Holy Spirit put inside of me, please let me give extra when an opportunity catches my eye.” We assert, “If you are willing to consider me a brother or a sister, please let me contribute a part of my lifetime’s worth of accumulated wealth to my Savior.”
Since you are a Christian, you practically demand to give generously to Jesus like that. No wonder! He gave so generously to us! Jesus has given us all we are, all we have, and this whole world. Jesus has given us his blood to buy us back from hell, his body to burst our tombs, and his body and blood in the Holy Sacrament. Jesus has inspired our eternal confidence in him. Invite Jesus to stay at your house, and be sure to meet him at his—with generous thankfulness.