[Devotional] The Joy of Giving

Here's another one of those devotionals that I first mentioned in my previous post.  Be blessed.

The Joy of Giving
by Mary Southerland

Today’s Truth

2 Corinthians 9:7 (NCV): "Each one should give as you have decided in your heart to give. You should not be sad when you give, and you should not give because you feel forced to give. God loves the person who gives happily."

Friend to Friend

One of my favorite authors, Richard Foster, writes, "Giving with glad and generous hearts has a way of routing out the tough old miser within us. Even the poor need to know that they can give. Just the very act of letting go of money, or some other treasure, does something within us. It destroys the demon greed." God loves to see us give for no other reason than the joy of giving.

The true story is told of a self-made millionaire who had lived in New York City his entire life. Born and raised in a ghetto, he worked hard and achieved much. Anyone who knew this man would testify to the fact that he was generous--to a fault, some would say. One year, the man was disturbed by an attitude of selfishness and greed that seemed to pervade the Christmas holiday season and everyone around him. Not one to condemn, the millionaire decided that since he had been given so much, it was up to him to do his part in combating greed and came up with an unusual plan. Wearing a disguise, this man stuffed his pockets with $100 dollar bills and set out for a walk on the streets of New York City. When he saw someone in need, he whipped out one of the bills, pressed it into that person's hands and with a "Merry Christmas," made his way down the street. "It was the most wonderful part of my holiday season," the man reported, and he has been doing it every since.

God is much more interested in our motive for giving than in the gift itself. If that motive is tainted with greed, the gift simply does not count. A powerful way to guard against greed is to choose joy over greed. Giving with joy is Kingdom giving! Before you give, ask yourself, "What’s in it for me?" If the answer is "nothing," then go ahead and give the gift.

When our children were in middle school, we owned what I affectionately called a "Mini-Gym." It was a set of bar bells, a weight lifting bench and a few free weights. Both Jered and Danna loved their "gym" and used it almost every day. When Christmas rolled around, we learned that two of their good friends, Jeff and Jeremy, were not going to have much of a Christmas because their dad had lost his job. Jered came up with a plan. "Mom," he said, "Danna and I have talked about it. We think that Jeff and Jeremy would love to have the gym. But we don’t want them to know we gave it to them, because they might be embarrassed. What do you think?" I thought I was in the presence of two joyful givers and quickly joined them in their plan.

A few days before Christmas, Jered and I took the gym apart and loaded it in our car while Danna found a huge red bow. Together, we made a sign that read, "Merry Christmas! We love you!" Danna blew up balloons while Jered dug out some Christmas lights. We enlisted the help of a neighbor who had a key to our friend’s house and joined in the fun by agreeing to find out when the coast was clear, unlocking the back door and letting us in. At the designated time, off we went, laughing and singing Christmas carols. We parked down the street until the neighbor called, giggling, to let us know she was all set. Once we were inside, we raced to assemble the gym, post the sign, tie the balloons and tape the lights to the front door, leading our friends to their Christmas surprise on the back porch. We then high-tailed it home as if the FBI was hot on our trail! The neighbor reported that just minutes after the boys returned, she heard shouting and "whooping and hollering." The joy of that Christmas still lingers today. Greed doesn’t hold a candle to joyful giving!

Greed is never satisfied and never at rest. There is always something more to be gained and someone else to outdo. Take sheep, for example. Sheep are dumb enough to eat until they are sick. They simply do not know when to stop. A heart that is filled with greed behaves the same way. I am afraid our heart motives are all too frequently self-serving when it comes to giving. Our pride is at stake, so we give to impress others. Perhaps, we give out of fear and guilt, hoping to buy God's forgiveness from our sin. People are watching, so we give in order to gain their approval. What is the solution? Giving! Giving is a powerfully effective deterrent to greed when we give for no other reason than the joy of giving.

Proverbs 11:24-25: "Some people give much but get back even more. Others don’t give what they should and end up poor. Whoever gives to others will get richer; those who help others will themselves be helped."

I once read an article that described three types of givers. The first kind of giver is the "flint." To get anything out of a flint, you have to hammer it, and even then, you only get chips and sparks. A second kind of giver is the "sponge." You have to squeeze it and the more pressure you use, the more you will get. The third kind of giver is the honeycomb. It just overflows. What kind of giver are you? Experience the joy of Christmas when you experience the joy of giving. Merry Christmas!

Let's Pray

Father, thank You for all You have given me. Help me to be the kind of giver that points people to You. I choose against my pride or any wrong motive for giving Christmas gifts this year. I choose to keep my eyes on You and my glance on the world. I love you! In Jesus' name, amen.

Now It's Your Turn

We make a living by what we get out of life, but we make a life by what we give and how we give it. Beecher wrote, "No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. The heart makes a man rich. He is rich or poor according to what he is, not according to what he has." How do these words relate to your life this Christmas?

Take inventory of your "stuff." Make an actual list. Then set aside a time of prayer and solitude during which you give each one to God.

Consider giving an anonymous gift and recruit your family to help.

Losing Your Balance

Photo credit:  Melinda Sue Gordon/Sony Pictures

An interview with actor Brad Pitt highlighted an ongoing problem in Christianity.

Recently as I drove to meet my wife for lunch, I heard a familiar voice on the radio.  After listening for a few minutes I remembered that the voice belonged to the American actor Brad Pitt.

In the interview, being conducted by NPR's Terry Gross, Mr. Pitt recalled how Christianity made an impact on his early life, but also how he ultimately went away from it.  He said that there were "many other reasons" for his departure, but one of them that he chose to highlight caught my attention because it resonated with some of my experience with Christianity, and maybe it will resonate with you as well.  The reason can be explained in one word, exclusiveness.

The Balancing Act

Many balancing acts exist in Christianity, a key one being the balance between exclusiveness (being separate) and inclusiveness (being inviting).  The Bible speaks many times of the need for a distinction between believers and nonbelievers.  We read in the Old Testament section of the Bible where God and His prophets repeatedly tell the nation of Israel how and why it needs to be separate from the surrounding nations and their false systems of worship.

We also see the separation in the New Testament in many of the teachings of Jesus especially in the parables recorded in Matthew 25 (foolish vs. wise virgins, resourceful vs. lazy servants, sheep vs. goats). The apostle Paul spoke of separating from those who did not believe the truth; especially from those who had a superficial theology (as we will look at later in this post).  So the Bible states that a time and place exists for exclusivity, but what happens when this exclusiveness becomes unbalanced?

Why Don't They Get To Go To Heaven Then?

You have people asking questions like that one.  This question came from a young Brad Pitt as he struggled with Christianity.  The full quotation goes as follows.

"I was very curious about the world even at a young age, and I don't know at what point I became aware that other cultures believed in different religions, and my question was, 'Well, why don't they get to go to heaven then?' And the answer was always, 'Well, everyone gets a chance — meaning at the word of God as it was described to me then. And that didn't sit well with me then."

Many people have asked that question or at least have had a sense of uneasiness about the subject.  That group included me, at least until I discovered this passage in the book of Romans.

"For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life."  Romans 2-13-16 (NLT)

In this passage, the apostle Paul highlighted this concept as a way of contrasting the behavior of apparent outsiders (the Gentiles) with the proclaimed insiders (the Jews).  Key thoughts being that the Gentiles did not have to hear the law to fulfill its requirements, and that God will judge people by how they live, not by what they have heard.  So if such relatively plain texts exist then why do we still have the exclusive/inclusive argument, are we neglecting the root of the problem?

The Root of the Problem

Behind an imbalanced view of the exclusive/inclusive concept, a much deeper one exists; an incomplete picture of God.  Why do people have an incomplete picture?  They get it from His professed followers.  Followers of an inviting God often use religion as a barrier between God and those who want to come to Him.  They like things the way they are, and don't want any "sinners" to interfere with life as usual.  The very same problem that the Roman believers had centuries ago continues today with similar results, people hungering for something more are left feeling empty and isolated.  So how do we solve such a problem?

Solving the Problem

To paraphrase a popular saying, we need to be the change that we want to see in the world.  If we want a more balanced Christianity, we must ourselves be more balanced.  If we want Christianity to be more inviting, we need to be more inviting.  If we want people to have a complete picture of God, then we need to have one ourselves.  All this only comes from having a deeper relationship with God.

What incomplete picture of God did you once have or continue to have?  Share in the comments section.

Problem Solved

Image: nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Despite the enjoyment problem solving brings, we need to remember that we never solve problems completely on our own.

I recently solved a software-related problem with my laptop.  Naturally, I felt good about getting the problem out of the way, especially considering I put a decent amount of time and effort into finding and implementing a solution.  With this success came the temptation to think that I had solved the problem on my own without any outside assistance.

My line of thinking soon changed when I realized that although I did not actively ask for help, my solution came from knowledge I had received from someone else.  Someone who posted a solution on a website.  Someone who had more knowledge about the situation than I did.

Even if I had not consulted a source other than myself, Someone did help me solve that problem.  As it is written,

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  James 1:16-17

 So next time you're tempted to think too highly of yourself for solving a problem, remember that you didn't solve it on your own, Someone was there helping whether you realized it or not.

Of Temples and Churches

Picture courtesy thejewishmuseum.org

Does the temple of ancient Judaism provide a pattern to be followed by modern Christianity?

My recent reading of my daily Bible reading plan has brought me to the part of the Bible that depicts the provisions for, and the building of, Solomon's temple (which can be found in 1 Kings 5-8).  Reading this account got me thinking again about the concept of how to build places of worship.  For a long while I have often thought about awe-inspiring places of worship only in the context of medieval cathedrals, but as I am writing this, thoughts of other buildings come to mind:  places such as Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Parthenon in Greece, or the Dome of the Rock in Israel.  Regardless of who built them, and for what deity (or deities) they were built, they all have something in common, they all sought to give humanity a taste of the divine.

Solomon's temple certainly sought to inspire those who entered with the greatness of God.  The elements that struck me was the pair of golden angel statues in the Most Holy Place of the temple.  These statues were about 15 ft (4.5 m) tall, and each had a wingspan which was also 15 ft.  To give it some perspective, that is the same width of the average two-car garage in the U.S.  Now picture these statues standing side-by-side as you enter the room with a ceiling approximately 30 ft. (9 m) tall, and be sure to note that these angels were overlaid with gold.  Gold and bronze were used extensively throughout the temple complex, as well as polished stone and various types of wood.

Now how does one translate such impressive display to modern Christianity?  Now I am not advocating that Christians should model their churches after such a pattern.  By doing so, we could set up an obstacle between  people and God.  Those who are not Christians could see us as trying to show off in a world that so many people are struggling simply to survive, or as in the case of ancient Israel, the believers could become so focused on the structure as to lose sight for Whom it was built to honor.  In the same way, we should not go so far the other way so that our churches would be shabbily constructed that people would wonder if it would be safer to worship outside.  Hence the tension that is Christianity.

In a more figurative sense, the Bible states that believers are "temples of the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 6:19).  We then have to stop and think, "What kind of temple am I?  Am I one that seeks to draw attention to myself rather than God?  Am I so 'shabbily constructed' in the way I act and talk that people wonder if it would be better to leave me alone?"  The only true solution to these questions is the Lord Himself.  As Solomon himself wrote in Psalm 127, "Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain."

The Divine Shepherd

In this chaotic, and often violent, world it's good to know that there is Someone to take care of us.  That is, if we let Him.

As I had mentioned previously, I am reading through the book The Desire of Ages.  The chapter I most recently read is entitled "The Divine Shepherd".  The concept of Jesus being a shepherd is perhaps one of the most common ways in which Jesus is portrayed.  If you go into practically any church or cathedral that has stained glass windows there will be some reference to this concept.  Why is it so popular?  Out of all the word pictures found in the Scriptures, why does this one resonate with people as much as it does?  I would venture to say that it is because of this fact.  We all want Someone to take care of us.

Sure there are many who with much bravado will say that they don't need anybody, that they can take care of themselves.  I will be bold enough to say that those people are simply fooling themselves.  We are in constant need of care, and that is why Jesus referred to us as sheep. Now as I mentioned some months ago, being a sheep is not a popular analogy for many people.  This is mainly due to this false sense of independence that was just as prevalent back then as it is today.  Someone once told me that the parables were often meant to offend people in one way or another.  To a self-made man or woman, this concept would be quite offensive.  We have to be humble and realize our need.

In closing, remember this,

"Because we are the gift of His Father, and the reward of His work, Jesus loves us. He loves us as His children. Reader, He loves you. Heaven itself can bestow nothing greater, nothing better. Therefore trust." -- The Desire of Ages pg. 483

A Marked Contrast

The more I learn about the character and practice of Jesus, the more I see the contrast between His life and ours.

I'm currently reading through the book The Desire of Ages (something I think everyone should do once in awhile), and not long ago as I was reading the chapter entitled "At Capernaum" I came across a statement that, as the saying goes, hit me like a ton of bricks.  It reads as follows.

"And the wonder of the careless crowd jarred upon His spirit. In His life no self-assertion mingled. The homage which the world gives to position, or wealth, or talent, was foreign to the Son of man. None of the means that men employ to win allegiance or command homage did Jesus use. Centuries before His birth, it had been prophesied of Him, 'He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall He not break, and the dimly burning flax shall He not quench: He shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth.' Isa. 42:2-4, margin." pg. 260-261

One way in which the folks at Merriam-Webster define the verb "jar" is "to have a harshly disagreeable or disconcerting effect."  To put it more simply, the wonder of the crowd went completely against the very core of Jesus' spirit.  How many of us could say the same thing?  This jarring was not simply a sense of being overwhelmed, which is what many of us would feel in a similar situation.  It wasn't that He couldn't handle the attention.  He didn't want it.

The second sentence regarding self-assertion also caught my attention.  I've lost track of how many times I've heard people say to me or to someone else that I/they need to promote ourselves more.  The non-Christian world (that includes those who are Christians in name only) is all about self promotion.  You want to get ahead in life, get yourself noticed.  You have to climb the corporate ladder, make a name for yourself, break through the glass ceiling, etc. in order to be somebody in today's world.

After stating how much the Pharisees loved getting attention, the writer continues.

"In marked contrast to all this was the life of Jesus. In that life no noisy disputation, no ostentatious worship, no act to gain applause, was ever witnessed. Christ was hid in God, and God was revealed in the character of His Son. To this revelation Jesus desired the minds of the people to be directed, and their homage to be given. The Sun of Righteousness did not burst upon the world in splendor, to dazzle the senses with His glory. It is written of Christ, 'His going forth is prepared as the morning.' Hosea 6:3. Quietly and gently the daylight breaks upon the earth, dispelling the shadow of darkness, and waking the world to life. So did the Sun of Righteousness arise, 'with healing in His wings.' Mal. 4:2."  pg. 261

Lord, help me not to seek to draw attention to myself, but only to give glory to You. Amen.