Romans 15, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #84: MONEY

PASSAGE: Paul the Minister to the Gentiles, Paul's Plan to Visit Rome

MEMORY VERSE: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

NOTES: (v.2-3) "Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written, 'The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.'"
Memory verse review!! "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (v.5-6)
Paul to the Gentiles: "Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 18I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done."

ACT OF LOVE: Today, I loved by giving away my money :)
My friend and I had made plans to walk to the Habit and eat there for lunch today, since she's in college and I hadn't talked to her in AGES. My first act of love was paying for her lunch--this was semi-planned by me. My second act of love was planned, I think, by God! There wasn't any space in the Habit to sit so we got it to go and sat on the tables outside near Baskin Robbins. After a while of eating and talking, a poor and slightly ghetto-looking white couple came up to us and asked (very politely) if we had any spare change. Their car had run out of gas and they were asking around for money to pay for enough gas to get their way home. I immediately said yes, and they were surprised because I was the first person to help them all day. I gave them all the spare change I had (though it wasn't much), and they went on their way.
After the incident, my friend and I were talking about how many times these people (or homeless) would ask for money to buy alcohol or drugs, and how she never trusts them enough to give them change. But then I thought of Galations 6:9 "Let us not become weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us to good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." The Bible doesnt command us to help others, except when there is the possibility of ulterior motives from the receiving end. I think God calls us to serve and love with a Christ-centered attitude, and leave the rest to Him. The point isn't that the couple might have used my money for selfish purposes; the point is that I did good "as [I] had oppurtunity." Anyways, I hope the couple was blessed by what I had to give, and gathered enough to take them home! :)