In my last post, I wrote, "I am not so sure what I am going to do with it yet...I just know that the Lord is moving me, more every day, into a place where I am sickened by how much I spend on self and comfort." Well, it has been a week now since I saw Pastor Modekai's face and my thoughts and conversations have been consumed with what I am going to do.
The concept of giving and blessings just seem so backward to me (at least the way I have always heard it taught in church and Christian circles)...
Why do we always say, "give and the Lord will bless you?" or, "if you give abundantly you will receive abundantly?" This is the question that keeps running through my head, "how much more do we want God to bless us financially?" I mean, the American living off of minimum wage is rich compared to the third world...they are struggling, but they are still blessed.
Give more to be blessed more? I don't think Christ intended for my giving to be about me. What about give more because God can use it to reach the hearts and souls of people? Or give more because kids in Honduras are dying from a bug bite that would be prevented if they had a tin roof on their houses? Or because a $7 bottle of medicine would cure millions from a disease that causes blindness? What about give more because millions are dying from AIDS, malaria, drought, and famine?
I keep asking myself, "Why have I conformed to the mindset that I should be striving for more things?" Why do we work our entire lives to live "more comfortably?" What is wrong with living comfortably...why do we need more? (I know the answer to that is sin, pride, but it seems like materialism has become an idol that is turning our hearts to everything but God)
The rich ruler came to Jesus and asked, "What else can I do?" Sell it all, give to the poor, and follow me. Who do you think the rich ruler is?
I am. Working at starbucks part time...in America, that is nothing, but to the world, I am wealthy beyond belief. So what else can I do, beyond what I am already doing, to follow Christ?
Sell it. Give it. Follow.
I have often justified my pull to materialism by saying it is okay to enjoy the excess, because God has blessed me to enjoy it...and while there may be some truth to that, there is a line that is crossed where we begin to glorify ourselves rather then God through possessions.
I know that this might seem like I am being extreme. I am not saying we should live below poverty. I am typing this just after I finished drinking my $2.oo starbucks cup of coffee, but I can't stop asking myself these questions because of what I might need to give up. There has to be a balance. What is it? Maybe the church is living way above her means...or right in line with her means, when she could be living way below her means. Please understand that I am not pointing fingers or being judgemental...I am simply asking, "what is the balance?" and "are we living it?"
I know the answer for me is that I am out of balance. I fear to think about how out of balance because I don't want to give up my toys. What if God is calling some of us to radically change our spending habbits and what we spend our money on? What if he is calling some of us to give up something as small as our dish network/ tivo or something as large as downsizing our house? Am I really willing to think, pray, and challenge myself as to what God wants me to do? How radically can I and will I live?
Just the thoughts going through my head...please share what your thoughts are...
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13 comments:
I was thinking about something similar a couple months ago. I can't stand hearing the "Give and the Lord will bless you", or the "If you give abundantly, you will receive abundantly" comments you mentioned. I mean, if we're just giving to receive more...what a horrible motivator! I don't want to give $20, sit back and say "Okay God, where is my reward? Where is my more abundant $40?". I want to feel moved to give that $20, give it, and be confident it'll be used for God's will. End of story. What else is needed?
The purpose behind our giving does need to be to help heal the physically/spiritually dying people of this world...not to further increase our own comfort. It's the return of the self-centered, God-centered life!
I know this is almost exactly what you said, but it's just so true!
I don't think God wants us to be poor...but I know I could give up a WHOLE LOT and not be poor. I don't really believe that I am going to only make minimum wage for the rest of my life...but if I did--my point was, I still wouldn't be poor. I would still have extra to give. It's all about choices...how much you spend and what you spend it on.
You're right, the apostles did go to give away Christ, not physical things...but the apostles also had nothing themselves...we do. I am admiting the sad fact that there are times in my life when I have been the rich ruler...times when I know that I can give more, yet use the fact that I already give to justify not being more generous. I think we make decisions all throughout the day, every day...what am I willing to sacrifice, what am I willing to give up? I know God has blessed us with riches...but do you think sometimes we take that to an extreme?
I miss you so much... i actually cried when i read your comment. i totally agree with you... live in a constant state of graditude would be a great idea. Love you... keep in touch!
I am admiting the sad fact that there are times in my life when I have been the rich ruler...times when I know that I can give more, yet use the fact that I already give to justify not being more generous.
Same here! A good example was Sunday morning, when Mordekai was asking for support for his mission. I was thinking, "Hey, I already gave some earlier, so it's okay if I don't give any now.". Admittedly, I only had $4 in my wallet, but you want to know what that $4 ended up going to later that night?
A waiter's tip at Denny's. I spent about $10 eating at Denny's that night; was it necessary? Couldn't I have just as easily gone home and eaten? We have choices/options for how we're going to meet our bodies' need for food. Many other people in the world, however, do not.
This post has spawned an idea...check out my blog for a challenge.
Dennae, Just this week? We are always telling each other how insanely blessed and inward focused we are...I was reading in "Revolition in World Missions" The financal statistics about America in comparison to the rest of the world. It's mind blowing.
Give me a call sometime.
Christain = Christian
Stupid laptop keyboards.
Christian Page!?!?
what is grandiloquence?
let me say this: not all of us share the same backgrounds.
i grew up in a family where if you wanted or needed it, you had to provide it for yourself. not that my parents didn't care, it's just they weren't always in a position to assist.
while pride kept my parents off of food stamps, it was something God used to keep me discontent.
i used to look at all my classmates in school and see everything that they had, everything their parents gave them. how they had the newest clothes and everything they wanted. they drove cars while i was driven to school by my parents. and the lack of things caused me to be the outsider.
i wanted to have things. more importantly, i wanted to have friends. i wanted to fit in.
so, i sacrificed. i worked to make money to get things. and not one of those things satisfied me. not one of those things brought me any contentedness.
i am not chronically malcontent. it's just God used things to make me divinely discontent.
i'm blessed with little. (chew on that a while)
that's not God didn't bless with me with much; but God sought to bless me so much that He saw fit to give me little. and here's the paradox (prepare for a paradigm shift): my little makes me rich.
in other words, my blessing makes me rich. because the blessing He saw fit to give me was Himself. i have no need for anything else.
[for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...]
You guys are right.
Goodnight.
Great discussion...let me say that I have been blessed, and my parents have been blessed with much! From a young age (12) I was shown and taught the biblical principal of hard work. I did not play group sports, I did not really do extracirricular activities with the school I went to, because I was working. By the time I was 18, I was running a landscaping business that grossed $100K, BUT and here is the big BUT, I was not wise with the money/blessings the Lord gave me, and being foolish, I wasted my portion on myself....Lord forgive me! I just wanted to share my background to say this....there is a biblical precedent to working for a wage, and there is nothing wrong with making as much as you can make, actually the more you make the more the Lord will bless/give you (see the parable of the talents). All the Apostles worked, actually we know all their vocations (doctor, tax collector, fisherman, tent maker, carpenter, ect)...why do you think that is? WE ARE THE LORD'S WAY OF PROVIDING FOR THE NEEDS THAT ARE IN THIS WORLD! It is time for us as people of Christ to realize that fact...it is not the government, it is not the institution of the church, it is not the social institutions (red cross, unicef, amnesty) IT IS US THE LORD USES TO MEET THE NEED! So don't beat yourselves up over what you make for a living, just realize you make it, to give it! Solomon didn't realize this fact, even when he realized that the riches the Lord blessed him with were not satisfying.If we live in complete obeidence to the "Great Commands"...Love the Lord with everything you are and have, and Love your neighbor as you love yourself...we will automatically live humbly, love mercy, and give sacrifically...I end with this exortation from Philippians 2, paraphrased...Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus, who had the riches of heaven, and gave them up for those he saw in need(us), became a slave just as those in need were(us), died a criminals death to pay the redemtion price for those he saw in need(us), and rose from the dead to regain the riches of heaven in order to bless those he redeemed (us), so that those he redeemed(us) could do the same thing...see the need and do all to meet it! Lord please help me to have this same attitude...
Dennae,
Don't have much time, but I just wanted to let you know that I am reading your blog. lol
I see this issue very much the same as my wonderful husband! lol
So I won't repeat what he said.
I also agree that you are one of the most giving and loving people I know, say "thank you". lol
love you!
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