Think About It.
Pay It Forward
by
Pastor B.J. Knefley
A new year represents many things to many people. For some it is a time for new beginnings. Away with the old and in with the new. The first thing I did on January 1st was to start a new calendar and journal. The second thing was to clean off my desk so that I could have a quiet and neat place to work and write. Let’s see how long this will last. Intentions, although good, are often forgotten about soon after starting. There is another which I’m planning on starting and that is developing a habit of “Paying it forward.” Paying it forward is simply the act of passing on a good deed to someone other than the one who passed it to you. It can be a perfect stranger, or someone you know. It includes the challenge for that person to do the same. And the good news is you don’t have to wait for someone to do it to you. You can be the first to start the ball rolling.
In Luke 6:38 Jesus said, “Give, 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. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” Part of the blessings we receive is not in money or things but in joy, inner satisfaction and peace. These are the things that money cannot buy but something that every person wants.
We live in a culture of what is often called “Meism.” The dictionary defines it as simply being “a focus on, or obsession with, oneself.” It’s about what we want, what we don’t have and think we should. You hear it wherever you go. Retailers play into it and try to convince you that they have exactly what you need and obviously should have. Personally, I have to chuckle because every time I buy the newest and best, I learn that something better has just hit the shelves and what I have is now antiquated.
So, here’s the challenge. Look for a situation that you can practice a “Pay It Forward” moment. I can’t tell you what that will look like, but I believe you’ll know it when you see it. Then just do it. Trust me, you’ll be blessed. Think about it.