Skip to main content

Tru$t Me

    Today I am continuing to go over some of the basic areas in our life that we should concentrate on sacrificing to Jesus, as He sacrificed Himself for us.

Hebrews 13:16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. (ESV)

 Resources 

    Today I will meddle in a sensitive place for most people-- their wallets. Money is always a touchy subject for people. In this world, money is our means to any end. It takes money to do just about anything in this world (even run God's Kingdom *cough cough*). Therefore, a common error of many believers is to see (consciously or unconsciously) money as their provider.

    Most are extremely attached to their money because of their relationship to it. They put their trust in their money instead of their God to supply all their needs. It is a waste to do so, for money neither cares about you nor sticks around to provide for you; it is fleeting. Jesus knew the trouble money caused in the hearts of mankind and warned that wealth made it exceedingly difficult to enter heaven when one is rich before they meet Jesus. However, it is possible with God. 

Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

Proverbs 23:5 Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. (NIV)

 Matthew 19:23-24, 26 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (ESV)

    Most are far more willing to sacrifice other things rather than their precious money! "I worked hard for that!" But it is what we are called to do. Not only are we supposed to tithe out of obedience, but we are to be givers beyond that. The more we give, the more it frees God's hand to bless us. When we are stingy with our money, God is slow to give us too much because of the condition of our heart. He wants our hearts to always be fully engaged in Him. If we cannot handle more money without falling away from Him, he often doesn't let us have it. But if we are are giving and faithful with little, he will bless us with much (Luke 16:10). 

    The only reason God blesses us with wealth is so that we will be free to faithfully fund His Kingdom here on earth. God always provides, and His model is typically to provide through people - people like us! We have Jesus inside of us and all we have He has given to us. Why should we be slow to listen when the Holy Spirit prompts us to give financially or otherwise? 

    Lastly, I would like to mention that besides our money, our other resources ought to be readily available presented as sacrifice to our Lord as He leads us. Our connections through work or school, our homes, our supplies, etc. Whatever we have is His and should be used for His purposes. 

    Give Him all you have today. Use His blessings to bless others and fulfill the purposes of His Kingdom here on earth! You will be richly blessed for it. 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

1 2 3, Count on Me

     I am thankful to say that for the first time in my life I am surrounded by friends and a community who I know will always build me up and point me in the right direction. More importantly, I know that they will always be honest with me. Honesty is a rare trait these days and I think it to be (combined with love) the most important thing to have in any relationship.    The Bible instructs us to speak life and truth into one another. To be honest and point each other to Christ when we are failing to see straight. I cannot emphasize how much I have grown since having access to that kind of community. Being in close friendships where I am able to be completely honest about my life, my struggles, my thoughts without fear of rejection or judgement is monumental alone. But take that a step further. I have been blessed to have friends that I can not only share my most intimate thoughts with, but they additionally are on their toes looking out for me and honest wh...
4 comments
Read more

Don't Read This!

     It's amazing to me how God so often uses moments in our daily lives to teach us something instead of the moments we might expect (in church, through Christian friends, etc.). I'm a big believer that God can use anything and anyone to teach us something (See Numbers 22:28 where God actually used a donkey to speak to Balaam). This last week, something a coworker said to me in casual conversation really struck my heart and has had me thinking since then. She told me that she quit smoking by buying herself cigarettes and keeping them with her and telling herself, "you can have one if you want. But do you really want it?"      I found this passing statement proved a brilliant point about human nature. I don't think anyone would disagree with me when I say that we as humans want what we are told we can't have. Tell a kid he can't have the cookies in the cookie jar and all he's going to want is those cookies. But I believe this concept is particularly...
2 comments
Read more

A Life of Servitude

   When we are living in the Kingdom of God, we have to abide by a completely different lifestyle than that of the world. The word tells us that to the world, the wisdom of God seems like foolishness. It is completely counterintuitive! Today, I think of this in the context of leadership. To the world, to be a great leader you are often taught to assert yourself and do whatever it takes to get on top. In the Kingdom we are taught that being recognized as a leader means putting yourself below others and letting God raise you up as He chooses to. Luke 14:11    For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (NLT)          So what does that look like? Well, it looks a lot like Jesus. During His life on earth, Jesus never asserted Himself over anyone-- even though He is the true King over all!! That's crazy humble. The mere fact that He even came down to earth in the form of a man is mind-b...
2 comments
Read more