Have you ever prayed to the Lord, "Lord, I want to be like you." When praying that prayer, we desire to think, say, and act the way God does. We want to take on His nature: to be loving, full of grace, all wise, power, etc. But did you know that God is generous? To be like God is to be a generous giver.
Think about it. God gives us life, food, shelter, clothing, laughter, every spiritual blessing, finances, rest, and the list goes on.
What about you? Are you always looking to see what you can get, receive, and take? Is your heart selfish, only thinking about your needs and desires?
Or do you think of others? Even in your need, do you think of how to bless someone else less fortunate than you? Are you looking for ways to bless others?
God's word says that it is more blessed to give than to receive. God knows better! He gave us His one and only Son so that we can have eternal life. In the same way, when we give back to God with our tithe, and when we look for churches, ministries, and people who are in need and we give according to what God says to (not because of guilt or being manipulated), God is pleased, people are ministered to in a huge way, and you will get a return much more than what you give.
Remember, whatever is ours is not really ours, it's God's. He is looking to make you like Himself, a generous giver. He rewards faithful stewards of what He owns. And He is longing to give you much more than what you can even long to give!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
COMMIT
Commitment today is not a popular word nor is it a popular practice. If you were honest, you would see a lack of commitment in many facets of life.
People go into marriage not committing, but just trying. Many say they "fall out of love," not understanding that marriage is a holy covenant. Many can be called "church hoppers" or "church stoppers." People go from church to church, following any emotional hipe and never getting grounded in one local assembly. The church stoppers just quit going to church, not wanting to build relationships with others because of hurt, mispriorities, and/or false expectiations that the church will be absolutely perfect. Parents may not commit to their word to their children, letting them down continually. Businesses don't keep their commitment to consumers. And the list goes on and on.
You may be the kind of person that says you don't like commitment. Actually, you do. What do I mean? Well, do you like it when someone follows through with their promise to you? Are you glad when the bank tells you something and follows through? You are probably thankful that every Friday your employment is committed to paying you. Your grocery store is committed to providing food. The post office is committed to delivering mail every day. God is committed to loving you each day. And so on.
You see, we like commitment when we are the recipient- it's powerful and a blessing. But it's another thing to be the one who commits to someone or something else. Just remember, when you don't stick to it, when you lack commitment, you remove the opportunity to be a great blessing and testimony of God's nature to someone else. As tough as it is to take, bottom line, that is complete selfishness and pride.
Are you committed? To be committed is to be like the Lord. God's nature is to be committed, not matter what happens. Be like Jesus. Commit to your spouse, your family, your church, your God. An abundant life awaits those who commit!
People go into marriage not committing, but just trying. Many say they "fall out of love," not understanding that marriage is a holy covenant. Many can be called "church hoppers" or "church stoppers." People go from church to church, following any emotional hipe and never getting grounded in one local assembly. The church stoppers just quit going to church, not wanting to build relationships with others because of hurt, mispriorities, and/or false expectiations that the church will be absolutely perfect. Parents may not commit to their word to their children, letting them down continually. Businesses don't keep their commitment to consumers. And the list goes on and on.
You may be the kind of person that says you don't like commitment. Actually, you do. What do I mean? Well, do you like it when someone follows through with their promise to you? Are you glad when the bank tells you something and follows through? You are probably thankful that every Friday your employment is committed to paying you. Your grocery store is committed to providing food. The post office is committed to delivering mail every day. God is committed to loving you each day. And so on.
You see, we like commitment when we are the recipient- it's powerful and a blessing. But it's another thing to be the one who commits to someone or something else. Just remember, when you don't stick to it, when you lack commitment, you remove the opportunity to be a great blessing and testimony of God's nature to someone else. As tough as it is to take, bottom line, that is complete selfishness and pride.
Are you committed? To be committed is to be like the Lord. God's nature is to be committed, not matter what happens. Be like Jesus. Commit to your spouse, your family, your church, your God. An abundant life awaits those who commit!
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