Generosity.

I have been spending some time reading up on financial stuff lately. Many different authors say many different things. I have my own opinions as do you I am sure. In just about all of this stuff I am reading, I have seen a lot about money. But only a few books have taken the risk to look beyond the glorious dollar to see what is going on in our souls. Here’s what’s been going in mine, as it relates to money, lately.

I used to give money away like it had no value, believing that God would give me more. And, well, He has given me more I suppose. But I got the distinct notion recently that God wanted me to be more strategic with my generosity. He wanted me to know the value of His money before I gave it away. And a funny thing happened when I started understanding the true value of money: it started to hurt when I would give money away. It didn’t hurt before, which is probably why it wasn’t hard for me to give. But now it was harder. In response, I did something probably drastic: I subconsciously stopped giving away money. Some might say that this was a step backward, but I think that God was bringing me through something here that wasn’t supposed to be clean journey. This was going to get a little messy.

Generosity (Charity) is love. (In fact, in many places it is the same greek word) Loving people can be really hard. Generosity can also be really hard. But it hadn’t been hard for me until the day that I learned the value of money. From that day, it has stung every time, even if I wanted to be generous. I can hear it now. So, if loving people is hard, do you just stop loving people? The answer should be no. But the truth is that we choose to not love people all of the time because it hurts. My path has led me back to a healthier understanding of what generosity is all about. It’s not about a feeling that I might feel if I do or don’t give. It’s about doing what’s right for the person to whom or place to which I choose to give. It’s comes back to love. 

So the question came up: What is generosity called if there isn’t love? What would you call someone who threw around generosity with no understand of it’s value? 

Whatever you would call it, that’s probably what I was. Now, I know what it costs to give. I also know what it costs on the return. I know the benefit of the sting. That is what love does. It looks for the benefit through the pain. It gives with the full knowledge that suffering will most likely happen. It lays down itself for the best interest of the other. It seeks the greater good. 

 

So, where are you on the generosity continuum? Does it hurt when you give? Does it bring joy to bless others? Does it do both? Give me some stories… 

Marvelous…

This verse came into my inbox today. I thought that it was really good and wanted to share it with you all.

Isaiah 25:1 –  ”O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in  perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.”

God is perfect in his faithfulness. He has never once slipped up and accidently been unfaithful to us. He has been perfectly planning to do marvelous things from long ago. And all of these things flow from this perfect faithfulness…  

Why is that I often find it difficult to trust in Him when He has never once proven Himself to be anything other than trustworthy? 

It just makes me wonder…the things that God does points to who God is…God is faithful, he does marvelous things which means He is a marvel (beyond comprehension and explanation), and He is a planner…

I think that marvelous light will be a good song this week… This light, which God also perfectly planned long ago according to his perfect faithfulness for us to share in and allow into our lives, IS also beyond our comprehension and pursuits to explain.  

Why is it that God consistently asks us to be a part of something that He knows we will have great difficulty understanding? 

In submission and service to our perfectly amazing Marvel! 

 

Addictions Blog

I ran across this today and thought it might be a good resource for us as we go through our current series, My Secrets, together… Read more…

Adjusting…

I have had a few people ask me lately how I have been adjusting here in Ormond Beach. Well, …

• I really am enjoying my new role here at the Beachside Church.
• Two months later, I am still very glad I made the move!
• God is so good to his kids…He always takes care of us.
• I didn’t realize how much I like meeting new people.
• I didn’t realize just how much I missed my family. (almost all of them live here in FL)
• I miss my friends in AZ.
• I miss hiking in the desert hills of PHX. It really was something that I enjoyed doing…
• I LOVE running on the beach as the sun is rising.
• I enjoy eating at the Boondocks while the sun is setting. (kinda negates the running, though…) 
• I probably should go camping soon… (big fan of nature)
• I love the humidity. (odd, huh?)
• I now remember just how amazing Floridians truly are (sweeping generalization, but case ‘n point: Drew, Robbie and all of the Fishers).
• I am growing more comfortable with the idea of wearing flipflops in church. I may even get crazy one day and wear shorts!

 

I found this quote: “Adjusting = patience + courage + self-control. The more patience and courage and self-control you can find, the better the adjustment for everyone.” I guess this would be true of any change in life, but for some reason speaks volumes to me right now.

 

“So here’s what I want you to do: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping,eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it…God brings the best out of you and develops a well-formed maturity within you.” Romans 12:1 (The Message) 

Book: In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson

I read this book earlier last month and pulled some great insight about courage and faith. Seems that these two things are basically inseparable. Mark Batterson’s take on a seemingly hidden couple of verses in the Old Testament shouts about God’s desire to take his people out of hiding and into combat. I have skipped over this entire story many times for one reason or another in the past.  I think that this is very applicable to life. To follow God through an unseen world takes great courage and proves our faith. Our faith becomes the evidence of our ability to trust and believe that God has our best interest in mind and will never harm us. Good book.

Anyone else read this book? What is your take?