You ever in one of those seasons in life in which you KNOW that God is speaking to you about a particular topic? You know, a time when something is called to your attention consistently and through various (seemingly) random avenues?
Well, for me it is one of those seasons and the concept is “generous living”, particularly in regard to finances but also applying to time and other resources.
It began when each of our three pastors at Calvary spoke bravely and profoundly on the “giving” topic on 3 consecutive Sunday mornings. {Side note}: It seems that the theme of generosity is either spoken of too oft or too seldom in many churches. I am so thankful that our pastors don’t shy away from teaching us about Biblical generosity {End of side note}. Those messages got me thinking about a particular verse, which was then reiterated on the radio the next morning as I drove to work…which was then rehashed as we discussed the sermon that evening at home group.
Not long after, a men’s group at church (of which Rich is a part) were assigned Randy Alcorn’s “The Treasure Principle” to read and discuss. I felt compelled to pick it up and begin reading the very night Rich came home with the book, and found myself struck by several word pictures Randy paints to help us better understand the concept of living generously. I want to mention one of them.
The first story is a depiction of a single verse: Matthew 13:44. It speaks of a traveler walking through a field when his cane strikes something hard. Not a rock, he discovers, but a treasure, worth far more than the collective of all he owned. He quickly made his way home, sold all he had, and purchased the field in which the unknown treasure lay so that he might call it his own and enjoy it’s reward. As the reader, I certainly did not feel frustated or sad that he sold everything, because I knew that he was acquiring something far more valuable. I was excited for him, and completely understood his desire to trade what he had to obtain something better. The traveler’s decision was a logical extension of what he knew to be true: that there was a treasure waiting for him that would bring far more satisfaction than what he currently held. So it should be with the Christian, who has been granted every spiritual blessing and eternal riches that will be ours for the taking. Delayed gratification, but only in a sense. We must wait for the joy and reward that will ultimately be ours in heaven, but God has blessed us in this brief life so that we can ALSO experience the blessing of making an eternal difference with our temporary “stuff”. Here and now.
Unfortunately, sometimes we notice the treasure we have and fail to act on our knowledge that we have a great opportunity. An opportunity to live by the treasure principle: We can’t take it with us, but we CAN send it on ahead!!! What joy there could & should be in our lives if we live in this truth! We can invest our money in ways that will further the Kingdom of God, and we will not only reap the longterm benefits of crowns in heaven, but the joy that comes from causing others to see God’s love in what we chose to do with our resources! Randy states, “The traveler made short-term sacrifices to obtain a long-term reward. It cost him everything he owned, but it gained him everything that mattered.”
I am so thankul for the Christians who “get it.” Those who live in light of eternity. Those who don’t hoard, nor do they spend foolishly. Therein lies a beautiful balance. They hold up their hands to God and ask, “What would you like for me to do with this, daddy?” I know several such people, and I am blessed by them.
Lord, detangle us from the culture in which we live, which tells us that “we deserve” or that we should indulge ourselves. Rid us from our selfishness, our sense of entitlement, and our materialism! Help us to truly grasp the paradox that is the Christian life. That by dying we live and by giving we are satisfied. That we are called to lay down our rights and our resources and surrender them to your purposes! That you want for us to live an abundant life by sharing our time, money, and abilities. Help us not to live for ourlselves, and help us to value living for you more than we value our comforts, conveniences, and culture.
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