Loving Neighbors Near And Far: A 5-Day PlanSample

Is it ever hard for you to share? Sometimes when we have something good, like a cool toy or a delicious cookie, we don’t want to share it with anyone else. We’re afraid that if we share, we won’t have enough left for ourselves. That kind of fear makes us act selfishly.

God wants to help us get rid of our selfish fears. If we believe in Jesus, God is our heavenly Father. All good parents want to make sure their children have everything they need and more. Parents love to give wonderful gifts to their children! And God is the best parent of all. The Bible tells us that he will take care of our needs and give us good gifts—starting with the best gift of all, the gift of sending Jesus to pay for our sins so we can be his children!

Notice what happens in Matthew 7:9-12. Right after Jesus talks about how God cares for us, he gives us what is often called the Golden Rule: “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.” Have you ever seen a fountain made of bowls stacked on top of each other? Water flows into the top bowl until it fills all the way up and then overflows, pouring into the next bowl. That’s how God’s love is supposed to work. He wants to fill you up with so much love that you can’t help sharing it with everyone around you!

Since God is our Father, we never have to feel unloved or be afraid of not having enough. That frees us up to love and share with others.

Talk together: When is it hard for us to share? How can we help each other remember that in God we always have enough? What are some ways we can practice sharing at home? At school? In our community?