A friend and I were talking today about giving of yourself. It seems like we are commanded (both didactically and by example) to give to others. This is the second greatest commandment, one that also fulfills the first (love God).
And yet, when we give, it can completely drain us. The ideal relationship has a balance of giving and receiving, but with fallen humans, that's not always the case. So what do we do? Do we keep giving, and if so, what do we do when we're empty? Can we reach a breaking point? Does the Bible say, "Give until you're tired, then stop"? Does practicality of saving ourselves from selfless destruction override a Biblical imperative?
One answer I've been teasing is a counter-intuitive one -- that we, like the Widow of Zerapath, give everything we have and then find that our jar of oil is not empty? Do we find it refilled by God? Can God sustain us himself, without using others to replenish our given hearts? Ideally, Christians support each other in balance, but when someone takes the slack, should s/he take it all, or should s/he let up on the reins?
(oh, Mom's surgery is tomorrow. . . a lumpectomy, I think)
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