Have You Learned The Joy Of Giving?
Good Morning Friends,
I am involved with a not-for profit organization that survives because people give to our mission. In my capacity, I have had to learn not to judge people on how much they give but to rejoice that they give at all. I have discovered that it is God working in their lives that determines their generosity more than my actions. Learning this became for me a very liberating lesson about the true motivations of benevolence, greed and guilt. Have You Learned The Joy Of Giving?
Scripture: He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
Mark 12:41-44 (NRSV)
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3 (NRSV)
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
Luke 6:37-38 (NRSV)
Message: Friends, the outcome of today’s story of the widow’s offering is not told in the Bible but is perhaps played out in the life, death and resurrection of our Lord and in our lives, when we discover our true wealth is in a Kingdom not of this world…. when we discover there is might in the widow’s mite. The Lord values the gifts of the poor. For most of us, giving does not cost us as much as we would like people who receive our gifts to believe. When we look at what is left behind we might be a little embarrassed by how little practice we have of giving from the heart. When we discover that our motive and mode of giving matters to God, we might also learn that developing a pattern for giving can help us to discover just how much God wants us to give. Friends, God observes the way we give in worship, prayer, praise, gifts and offerings. God looks at each one of us, not only in what we give but in how we give and why we give. God does so want to participate with us in our giving. That is why He nudges us from self to His presence. When we join with God manifested in community He becomes magnified in our hearts and we learn the joy of giving that takes us out of time. There is a collective impact that occurs when there is love. Jesus was impressed with the actions of the widow because He knew something no one else knew. He knew her heart and knows ours as well. He knows if we want to give and are willing to give quietly, sacrificially and joyously. He knows if we are willing to give all, to become totally dependent on God in anticipation that God will take care of us. He knows if we live to exalt Christ. He knows if we love to edify and learn. He knows if we look for ways to exhibit compassion. So today’s devotional calls us to focus on the Lord, deny self and live for others with a generous heart. God sees what is left, and by that, He measures the gift and the condition of our hearts. Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Are you ready to have a life worth living?
Pray we be thankful to learn that our giving is evidence of God’s wisdom in our lives. Pray we rejoice as we learn that giving is an implementation of God’s will in our lives as He expands, and sustains His kingdom and blesses our lives and the lives of others. Pray that we learn that our giving is an evidence of good stewardship as we count the costs and weigh just how little we need for ourselves. Pray we realize that generosity is measured not by what others give but by what we are capable and willing to give. Pray therefore that we encourage each other to use the abilities and resources God has given us. Pray that we learn to generously serve Christ by serving others. Pray we learn what impresses God. Pray we become instruments of accomplishing great things. Pray we discover the faith in giving. Pray we discover the grace in giving. Pray we take giving seriously but also with a cheerful heart. Pray
that we not seek to impressed, but because God has made an impression on us we do exactly that, as we give joyously and extravagantly to the Lord, as we embrace a reality that everything we have and everything we are belongs to God.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 