How serious and intentional are we with the responsibility to manage or steward all that we have received from God such as, time, health, money, material things, personal experience, education and so forth? From recent studies of the past few weeks, we now know what the New Testament teaches us, that everything we have comes from God and is His. What is our attitude and behavior towards these things? What does our giving, lifestyles and spending habits demonstrate?
We started our study of this topic at the end of July and in the beginning of this month under the headings, “Rich towards God” and “God owns it all”. The last two weeks, we studied what the New Testament has to say concerning, “Our Treasures in Heaven” and “Our treasures in heaven-What are they?”. Highlighting on what Jesus said in Revelation 22:12, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.” The intended purpose of these last two studies was to make a connection with the first two.
In these last four weeks have you been presented with the challenge and the opportunity to be intentional and to put into action what we have learned either dealing with someone else and or applying it personally? How did the Holy Spirit speak to you? What verses did He use that came to memory that related to the situation in which He wanted to use you, to teach you and even bless you. Even though you might not experience a financial or material reward at the moment, how did you feel for thinking and acting in obedience to what the Holy Spirit told you and what God’s word says as it applied that situation?
As for myself in these last four weeks I have been presented with many personal situations involving finances and material things in which I needed to trust what the Holy Spirit was telling me and what God’s Word says as it applied to me in that particular situation.
However, there were other instances that involved me just speaking to individuals concerning much of what we have been studying and how it applied to their situation, and that was easy.
What was more challenging for me was acting in obedience to what God wanted me to do, not just say. I did not have the days and or in some instances, the hours to pray to seek God’s will and search the scriptures that applied to the to the situations I was confronting. I need to make spur-of-the-moment decisions in which I had to trust what the Holy Spirit was telling me to do at that moment based on the scripture that I already knew. In some instances, having to act without hesitation I just had enough time to pray quickly and under my breath asking God for His discernment and wisdom.
What I also learned from what we have been studying during these last four weeks was, is that there had always been and still are opportunities all around me to act in obedience to what the Holy Spirit is telling me to do, but which will always be in line with God’s word and not how I feel. Some of the many reasons I did not act or even speak to others was because I did not trust God and His word to be obedient to do what He was telling me to do with what He has given me to manage. In some instances, I was responding with the mentality that everything I had was mine, my time, my money, my things and so forth. Once I knew God’s Word, I was no longer ignorant and my eyes and ears were opened. So now, when the Holy Spirit speaks to me, I have a choice of what I am going to do, to act in obedience trusting what God is saying to me or disobey because I just don’t want to.
How much does our thinking that we are the owner of everything we have play into our disobedience when the Holy Spirit tells us to act in situations that involve giving or helping someone?
Every Christian who intimately loves God wants to be blessed by God and used by Him. But how much of God’s blessings are we missing out on and opportunities are we forfeiting because we have not learned as God’s redeemed children all that we have materially, financially, and the knowledge gained through education and or experience, comes from and belongs to God?
Jesus said in Luke 6:38, Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” This verse can easily be misunderstood that Jesus is exclusively referring to money. Yes, it does apply to money but it also includes what was stated in the previous paragraph everything materially, financially, knowledge gained through education and or experience and much more. What Jesus tells us in this verse also applies to the gifts and abilities we have received from God. Peter makes this point very clear. 1 Peter 4:10-11, 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.
“God prospers me not to raise my standard of living
but to raise my standard of giving.” – Randy Alcorn
Our “standard of giving” as mentioned by Randy Alcorn, in other words is our normal practice. For a Christian, what establishes our normal is the Word of God and it should not be how we feel and or what society says is normal. The basic Biblical normal for a Christian is to tithe or 10% of our gross income. As most of us know the Biblical teaching for tithing is found in Malachi 3:8-12. However, if we cannot trust God with what His Word teaches us concerning tithes or giving back to Him 10% of what is His anyway, it will be very difficult to trust Him in any other verse in the Bible that teaches us our responsibility for giving and or serving others with what God has given of His to manage or to administrate because we will consider all that we have is ours.
The apostle Paul writing the Corinthian church, is teaching them and us a normal way a believer in Christ should understand giving and how we express our trust in God and His Word which is expressed by our giving.
2 Corinthians 9:6-10, 6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” 10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.
“Since giving is an act of obedient faith in and to God, one may be disappointed at the little blessing he receives when he has not actively invested, or “sown seed” in the kingdom of God. This thinking may be evident in many people who come to church and enjoy the preaching and use the facilities but give little or no thought to meeting the expenses. Nature teaches us, that it is foolish to expect a harvest when you have not planted any seed? How can you expect God to honor your desire for financial return when you have not honored His command to give?” Spirit Filled Life Bible for Students
When a Christian does not live and understand that all we have comes from God and it all belongs to Him, the result will be that we will find it very hard to give to Him and or anyone else because we will base our giving on how much we have and or do not have. Our eyes and heart will be on ourselves and our circumstances or what we think our needs are, and not on God and what He says in His Word.
As we find it easy to trust or believe all that God’s Word says concerning our salvation, the deity of Jesus, heaven and hell, His protection, His love for us and the world, even the very existence of God and all that He is and can do and much more. We need to learn to trust, submit and act on what the Bible teaches us concerning, administrating and or giving back to God and giving to others what in fact belongs to God.
Pastor John
