2 Peter 3:1c I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
Peter is talking about remembering the Word here and a pure mind is required to remember pure things.
Each Christmas season my memories are stirred about a past that wasn’t so pure and the older I get my memories seem to be less clear.
In my sugar plum dreams I am alone. I have no memory of my siblings at all. I honestly do not remember anything about their Christmas, what they looked like, what they got for Christmas, or any joy that might have been theirs to celebrate.
That makes me feel selfish. I was a child and as a child I probably only cared about myself. We were poor so we didn’t have much of a tradition of sharing or at least I don’t remember there being those examples in my life.
Generosity of heart needs to be exampled to children. It is not natural. If you grew up in poverty generosity of heart might be very difficult to recognize. It might show up by doing rather than giving. The nuances of generosity of the heart are easily lost on a child if they are not included in efforts of doing.
Growing up in Maine one of the opportunities made available to us was in shoveling snow. Our neighbor was an old widow woman who could not shovel her drive or walk herself. It was done for her by the generosity of the heart. That was a teachable moment for me that did not happen but should have.
There are many needful moments in the lives of those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Food, money, or physical labor done without generosity of the heart leave Jesus out of the picture.
1 Corinthians 16:14 (ESV) Let all that you do be done in love.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publications
I especially liked your paragraph that began with “ Generosity of heart… “
Good message.
My heart is touched by your mention of “pure heart”, memories and being poor. I was raised an “only child”, so sharing was not in my vocabulary. We lived on a small farm in Iowa and I remember a fantastic material gift of a 50 cent John Deere toy tractor. My greatest gift just before Christmas was my Savior’s gift of eternal life that was the result of faithful parents on their knees and faithful cousins who pled with my soul.
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for MY sake HE became poor, that through HIS poverty I might be made rich.” 2Corinthians 8:9.
Thank you dear brother for encouraging the “Memories”.