paying it forward

thought this was an interesting concept to pass on...i suppose subconsciously we do things expecting returns (gratitude, undying loyalty etc) and it's really hard to temper expectations.

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another.
Romans 13:8

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Read: Acts 9:36-43

TODAY IN THE WORD

The book and movie Pay it Forward popularized a concept that can be traced back to a practice of Ben Franklin’s. When he would lend money to someone, he asked that the debt not be paid back to him directly. Instead, he considered the debt repaid when his debtor lent the same amount of money to someone else in need, asking the next person to do the same. Today, Pay it Forward foundations have been created around the concept and in some cases have stirred entire communities into a domino effect of kindness and love.

The ministry of Tabitha had that same kind of effect. Her simple act of kindness sent ripples throughout an entire city. The language in verse 36 suggests that she performed good works with remarkable consistency, but she was showing love to people who were in no position to pay her back. And the atmosphere of love around her is evident from the reaction of her friends. They mourned her death not only as the personal loss of a loved one but also as a tragic loss for the community, as we see by the widows’ showcase of the work she had been doing right up to the point of her death (v. 39).

Love certainly wasn’t the only virtue at work in this passage, because the disciples’ request for Peter to come showed faith that he could bring her back to life. Why else would their plea be so urgent (v. 38)?

It seems that even Peter’s miraculous healing of Tabitha (her Aramaic name, translated in Greek as Dorcas) had a purpose beyond rewarding her love or even the faith of the other disciples and widows. When Peter showed Tabitha alive to the crowds, the story of her healing brought mass conversion throughout the community. She spent her life making clothes for the poor, and God used her love and even her death to cause a chain reaction of faith, action, and miraculous power that brought eternal life to those in spiritual poverty.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY

“Paying it forward” can keep your motives in check. To make sure that you’re doing good works out of love rather than desiring payback, find a way to show love to people who are unable to pay you back. You could also do someone a favor with the stipulation that the only thanks you’ll accept is to pass the kindness along to someone else. By doing so, you’ll also help the other person respond out of love instead of guilt.