| A Message On Giving |
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| Written by Pastor Chris | |
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"Jesus went over to the collection box in the Temple and sat and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two pennies. He called his disciples to him and said, 7 assure you, this poor widow has given more than all the others have given. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.'" (Mark 12:41-44 NLT) When I joined the United Methodist Church I promised to serve the church with my time, talent, gifts and service. Giving and serving are two verbs that describe the essence of the Christian life. Ouch! I soon wished this wasn't true because I knew early on that I was in big trouble. Serving is something I expect others to do for me, and giving is something I often put off until I have more. Whenever I hit it big on the Lottery, and I have enough to spare, I will be more than happy to be a generous person. You will never have seen such a generous person. In fact, I will break the record on generosity, as long as I have millions left over for my needs -- just you wait and see. But right now, I rarely have enough for my own needs so I don't have to worry about this giving stuff -- that's a long way off. I'm just being honest. This idea of giving and serving is hard. It's not an easy thing to serve and give when you are thinking about yourself all the time. God has matured my spirit. I've learned that I need to change my thinking, and I need to get into a habit of serving and giving even when I don't think I have anything to give. If I don't have anything, I just give whatever I have. That's what Jesus was telling us. A widow once brought a tiny little offering to the temple, but in Jesus' eyes, she out-gave the wealthy, because she gave all she had. Perhaps it's time to think of someone other than myself for a change. Perhaps I should ask God to open my eyes and make me aware of others first. Maybe I should think about those around me before I think of myself. And wouldn't it be wonderful if God would teach me how to give ... not like the rich people whose wealth I am so jealous of, but like this poor widow, who, according to Jesus, knew what Godly giving is all about. Chris |
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 09 November 2009 10:15 ) |
