9 The generous will themselves be blessed,
    for they share their food with the poor (Proverbs 22:9)

In the Sea of Thieves game, you command a pirate ship exploring the vast ocean. One of the main tasks is landing on an island, grabbing as many valuables as your boat can hold, and finding the right shipping company to take your stuff. Your reputation as a gritty pirate transforms into a hero of commerce as you bless the outposts with your merch.

If furnishing your home with Amazon and eBay merchandise is the illness, then generosity is the cure.

There was a clutter revolution not too long ago, where communities were committed to buying used and second-hand products (excluding food, hygiene, and clothes). The purpose was to cut down on waste and to take advantage of the generosity of the community.

The faith community must be concerned with how it spends its resources. If we take in more treasure/valuables/comforts than we give out, we are mistrusting Jesus’ promise, “It is better to give than receive.”

Other faith systems require you to act like God can’t afford anything and requires poverty, but Christianity cuts to the core of the issue by commanding us to bless other lives. When we use our treasure to elevate others, we are mimicking Jesus.

FIGURE IT OUT:

Luke 6:38.

New International Version

38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

  1. Circle words or phrases that stand out to you. Why did you circle these words?
  2. What promise is Jesus sharing?
  3. How does God view riches and abundant resources in the world?

It is such an honor to have you reading The Checkpoint. Please check out our first published book, The Year One Devotional. It features sixty devotionals covering anime, comics, video games, movies, and TV. It’s the official Devotional for the media geek.