One who is Gracious and Lends

I wonder how many of us would be characterized as being gracious to others? That is a rare quality today. The same is true for being willing to lend money and other possessions to others. I am afraid that many people are too concerned about guarding what they want and what they possess, so they are unwilling to give others more than they deserve. However, the psalmist told us that God will make sure it goes well for people who are gracious and lend to others. (Psalm 112:5) Also, he told us that this type of person will be very careful to maintain all of his business affairs with good judgment. Sounds like the kind of person Jesus would want all of us to be. Then, we would represent Him well to others. 

Being gracious is to extend favor to others. It is to give them the benefit of the doubt in all situations, until we know for sure we should not do that. It means to give them more love and compassion than they deserve, too. It is the ultimate in truly caring for the other person more than we care for ourselves. Much the same is true about being a person who lends.  When we lend something to another person, we are trusting them to use it well and to return it to us. That doesn't always happen, but God wants us to lend to others anyway. Its a great gesture of friendship, and it does give a way to build trust in others. It helps them to have their needs met by them not having to go and buy the item we already have. It can be a great blessing to others. As we interact with others by being gracious and lending, we learn about people, and we learn how to manage our own affairs in life. We learn how to act with sound judgment. We maintain that judgment in all we do, and God blesses us for that, too. God loves for us to treat others fairly and graciously, and to lend to others. He is quick to bless those who live in this unselfish way and become a good testimony for Him.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalm 115-117.