thou shalt be generous

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. (Ephesians 4:28)

this morning's sermon was on commandment #8 -> thou shalt not steal. the other side of this commandment is that we are to be generous. you would think since i have spent the last 4 months raising money, i would have a really good understanding of this. not true. i have been convicted in the last few months about my own giving habits and was appalled to see my lack of generosity.
i love this verse because it reminds us that we should be thankful we have jobs that we GET TO GIVE. not have to, but get to.

to be honest, i have been let down by a lot of people by their lack of giving. that says a lot more about me than it does about others. rick warren tweeted this a couple weeks ago and it has really bugged me since then:
Whatever sin you're quickest to judge & criticize in others reveals what you secretly hate most about yourself. Rom 2:1-6

The verse reference says this:

"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God 'will give to each person according to what he has done.'"

this bugs me because it's so true! i am so quick to criticize others about their lack of generosity because secretly i hate myself for the same thing. i used to be a lot more giving, but i have lately being using the "i'm in ministry" excuse to try and justify it. this morning's sermon was good for me to hear and i am working on trusting God to provide for me so that I can provide for those in need.

therefore, i commit to ALWAYS give to those who are in need (within reason- i'm not buying porshes for everyone!). i don't know what that will always look like, but i want to trust God in this way. this should be fun!

now join me in prayer for the last 7.5% to come in in God's timing. i know he has exactly who is to be on my support team and is working in their hearts. my type A personality is freaking out about the non-finality of anything...i don't know when i will leave, where i will live, or even what this year will look like. but despite the stress my family is putting on me, i will trust in God's perfect timing.


thankfully,
heather


“The more you understand who Jesus is and what He has done for you, the more generous you become…” -Robert Murray McCheyenne