Joshua 1:8
"...[B]ut you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:8).
"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me." (John 5:39).
"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13).
This Chapter almost sounds as though Paul is guilt-tripping the Church in Corinth into giving. But I like how Paul sums it up with verse 13:
ReplyDelete...[G]lorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others...
Obedience and generosity ought to be second nature for the believer as a sign of gratitude for God's "indescribable gift" (v 15).
I've heard it said that you can tell just how Godly a man/woman is by looking at his/her monthly expenditures. As Paul says, the amount isn't necessarily important but rather the consistent giving by a cheerful giver is what God loves (v 7).
I think this is a great passage to take to heart this Holiday season.
I like verse 10: He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that you (Josh) always remind me is that our finances never make sense. Especially with how much you give percentage wise. When you do the math it never works out right, but somehow we are always provided for beyond our needs. I'm confident however, that if your tithing was directed at my boot fund or car fund we would be in a completely different situation. I love you and thank you for pushing me to be more trusting, because if I was the boss (not that I'm conceding to not be the boss) we wouldn't be tithing NEARLY as much, and I would pinch every penny saving up for that fancy minivan etc. Thank you for pushing me to be a cheerful giver (which I'm not yet - but I"m on the way)
Great points guys. I will always remember how Pastor Fusco simply put it: "God's Will = God's bill"
ReplyDeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteJust remember too that God does not need our giving to be monetary although He does call us to that as well. Do not get discouraged or feel like you are not a cheerful giver (I TOTALLY struggle with that too) I look at the time you spend with other moms and their kids with Stroller Strides, or when you watch other peoples kids to help out when you have three little ones yourself (not an easy task) or when our small group went to the Natural Disaster outing and you set up babysitters for all the kids. That all shows Jesus how giving your heart is...yes it is soooooo easy to get sucked up into the money aspect of it, but we have to remember the "things" of this earth are so unimportant at the end of it all...our trust in the Lord and having faith that He will always provide is the most important thing of all...love you;)
This is Karyn, btw.
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