Pay It Forward
The term “pay it forward,” is a familiar one. The phrase is about passing “it” on to someone or something else rather than paying it back to the person who blessed you with an unexpected gift (money, help, a smile). I have experienced unexpected blessings from a friend and even a casual acquaintance. There was one specific time, though, I will always remember.
Early in our marriage, we were struggling financially. One morning I looked online at my bank account only to discover that I was overdrawn by several hundred dollars. I remember feeling defeated and embarrassed about how I could let that happen, and my heart sank as I thought about potential solutions since payday was three days away. In the afternoon, I retrieved the mail, and to my surprise, there was a check for fifteen hundred dollars from a friend who wanted to “pay” me for some work I had done. The check was unexpected but also right on time. I recall looking at the check and thinking in my mind, “Thank you Lord.” Even though I was early in my walk as a Christian, I knew in my heart that the financial blessing was from the Lord. My heart filled with gratitude!
Over the years, I have always looked for opportunities to bless others with my time, my love, and my finances. My heart says, “someone did it for me, so I want to do it for others.” We do it out of gratitude and that often creates a cycle of giving and receiving. Embracing gratitude, even during your worst storms, can change your outlook, your emotions, and your physiology. Even the smallest amount of gratitude can change the present, yours and others.
If you were to Google “pay it forward”, you would get multiple references for the origin. But I believe that God invented the movement. In John 3:16, it says “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son.” To me this is the origin of “pay it forward” because that act ensured that “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus was the ultimate gift to the world for all time - the past, the present and the future. The gift of salvation, God’s love, God’s blessings; all of these should inspire and motivate us to love God with all our hearts and to “pay it forward” to someone else. When we share a smile, extend love, or bless someone financially, we are extensions of the Lord’s hands. We are demonstrating our gratefulness for what God has done in our lives. We also inspire kindness, connection, and open the door for transformation for others.
God wants us to live from a position of gratitude and to share it with others. When gratitude overflows, it blesses others and their futures. That same gratitude you extend will come full circle and overflow back to you. In 2 Corinthians Apostle Paul tells us that “God loves a cheerful giver.” When we give our tithes, support a new church building, lead a life group, or pay for a teen’s summer camp, we are demonstrating our love for our Father and reaching towards the goal of conforming to the images of His son Jesus.
Look around you today. I know there are multiple opportunities to “pay it forward” and bless someone and demonstrate your love to God, our Father.
By Pastor Michele Guel