Shine: Week 3 - Day 3
OPENING PRAYER:
Dear Lord, help me to let go of my time and resources to further your kingdom at home and abroad. Help me to remember all I have is yours, and that you desire for me to be generous with my gifts as you have been generous with me.
“Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
REFLECT:
have a close friend who scoffs at the idea of giving charitably. He basically sees giving time or money away as a waste that would interfere with his ability to have the things he really wants. Basically he sees giving as irrational.
Though it may seem irrational to give resources away in the here and now, is it not totally rational to do so in the knowledge that now is temporary and eternity is, well, for eternity?
Everything that exists is God’s. Paul is very clear that the giving of gifts and support to people in need is pleasing to God, which of course makes sense. When everything is God’s, we serve as the vessels to provide support where it is needed on his behalf.
So when it comes to what we choose to do with our resources in the here and now, I’m going to do my best to be irrational, at least in the eyes of my friend. I want to do my best to provide what I can, be it time, money, or something else I can offer to help people who need it. I still haven’t been able to fully calculate how long eternity is, but I will definitely take my chances by investing in something eternal over the faint wisp of time this life is.
APPLY:
Now the hard part. If you’re like me, you know in your mind supporting those who need help when you have help to give is good and right, but good intentions don’t always translate into action. If that sounds like you, let me suggest getting intentional by making a plan. Write down what steps you need to take to provide support, and then share that with a fellow brother or sister in Christ to hold you accountable. Who knows, and maybe join you in the endeavor.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Thank you Jesus for being such a great example to us for how to love people. Please help us to be a light in their darkness like you have been for us.
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