Acts 3:6

“Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

                I have always been a person who wants to provide for others, and give others gifts. I find it hard to turn away someone asking for change, and I give lots of gifts to people. But a lot of times I’ve found myself in a position where I simply don’t have the money to spend on the people I want to spend it on. I can’t buy the beautiful doll for my little sister -- or the giant lego set for my brother – or the new single-cup coffee machine for Mom – or whatever barbeque tool my Dad actually wants.

                But I’ve given in the ways I could. One Christmas, I gave away all the posters on my walls (even though the ends were frayed), along with half my jewelry and some of my clothes, and a lot of my little decorations. Another year I spent my entire Target gift card on candy canes for my friend who I knew loved them, and had said she hadn’t had any yet that year.

                Peter and John were missionaries and pastors, and they were on their way to the temple to pray. This lame man who had sat by the temple gate every day cried out to the two of them, asking for money. Peter fixes his eyes on him, looking him straight in the eye and he says this verse to him. He has no money, but he gives what he can: the greatest gift of all – the name of Jesus. And at Jesus’ name, he rises up and walks.

                Having a heart for giving to others is great – but in the name of Jesus, everything you give is blessed tenfold. Your heart is made bigger in the giving (because Jesus is stretching it and pouring into it), and a witness for Him is made in the process. Today, I will give to someone (whether materially or in service) in the name of Jesus – giving the glory of it to Him.