1 Corinthians 16:14 (KJV)
Let all your things be done with charity.
“All your things.”
That sounds so vague, doesn’t it?
Webster’s 1828 defines “thing” as “that which comes, falls, or happens, like an event…” and gives two primary examples:
- An event or action; that which happens or falls out, or that which is done, told, or proposed.
(This is the general signification of the word in the Scriptures.) - Any substance; that which is created; any particular article or commodity.
A "thing," far from being accidental, is the result of our actions, our words, or our proposals (plans).
- The things we possess
- The things we are known for
- The things that surround us
- The things that happen to us
- The things that happen because of us
Let all of these things be done with charity.
The word “charity” (Greek agapē) is, according to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, “In the King James Version in 26 places from 1 Corinthians 8:1 onward. The same Greek word, which appears in the New Testament 115 times, is elsewhere translated by 'love.'”
The substantive agapē is mainly, if not exclusively, a biblical and ecclesiastical word—not found in secular writings—though the verb agapaō, from which it is derived, is used in classical Greek in the sense of “love, founded in admiration, veneration, [and] esteem. It is significant evidence of the new ideal and principle of life that permeated the early Christian consciousness that they made current a new word to express it.”
Charity, as it is found in Paul’s writings, should not be confused with general love. It is a special ideal and principle that applies to the Christian’s relationship with his or her church.
The lesson, then, is this:
Let every action, every word, and every plan we make—and therefore every consequence of them—be motivated for the good of, and toward, the church our Lord has fitted us into as members.
If it would harm our church, let not that thing be done, spoken, or even thought upon.
#AllThingsWithCharity #ChurchCenteredLiving #AgapeInAction #DoItForTheChurch #BiblicalCharityMatters
What Are Your ‘Things’? The Church-Focused Meaning of Charity
Are your actions building up the church—or tearing it down?
1 Corinthians 16:14 says, “Let all your things be done with charity.” That means your words, your plans, and even your influence should work for your local church—not against it.
✅ Action Step: Do one thing today that strengthens your church family—send an encouraging text, show up early to serve, or speak a word that uplifts. Don’t wait. Start now.
💬 Comment Below: What’s one “thing” in your life you want to start doing with biblical charity?
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