Divine Economy

Mat 6:14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”

The Lord informs us very clearly here that being forgiven by God is contingent upon our forgiveness of other people. This does not mean that we somehow earn His love or grace, but that it is His love and grace flowing through us which allows us to show forgiveness to others. When I am aware of how God has shown me mercy I am able to pass that on to people around me. If I don't realize how I have been blessed I can't pass it on.

It's like trying to give someone a million dollars. I don't personally have a million dollars, so I can't give you a million dollars. No matter how hard I try, it is impossible for me to give away that much money. Likewise, if I have never apprehended God's forgiveness, it can't flow through me. If I don't know that it is there, I can't give it away.

But, according to the verse above, if I give it away, I get more. In chapter 19 of Luke Jesus says that those who use what they have will receive more, but those who do nothing with what God has given will lose what they have. That's how the divine economy works. Give it up and you get more. Hold on to what you have and you lose it all!

If each one of us realized this, on something more than an intellectual level, it would transform the entire world. Possessions and money would become tools for good instead of measures of greed. Our thoughts towards other people would be focused on their needs instead how they might serve our needs. Grudges and resentment would become historical footnotes in a society driven by benevolence.