LIFE IS A TEST AND MONEY
IS ONE OF THOSE TESTS
"And he sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the multitude putting money into the treasury" (Mark 12:41). Jesus often spoke of money and draws our attention to look at our ways of giving. Do we do it cheerfully or begrudgingly? Does money call the shots in our life on what we can afford to buy or not buy and are we really free from the love of money?
If Christ has made us free, he has freed us from the power of money over our lives. Christ's continual presence with his community guides us through the unpredicatable ways of the Holy Spirit (see John 3:8). The Christian life is not some new rigid legal code. Rather, it is the church's response to the Apostles teachings and the Spirit's leading. We squirm when reading "No one claimed that any of his possesions were his own, but they shared everything they had . . . There was no needy person among them" (Acts 4:32, 34a). The resurrection reality and Spirit's guiding power allowed the early church to have a holy, almost reckless spontaneity. Are we today as secure in God's care to provide and the Spirit's ability to lead?
The Spirit blows where it wishes and we are free to respond to needs as the Spirit leads. So as I reflect on this issue of holy hilarity in our giving, here are some thoughts I jotted down in preparation for our discipleship study on God's economy:
1. Soak yourself in the Bible's sometimes soothing, but also unsettling words about trust.
2. We need to make the issue of our finances a matter of regular prayer. Do we pray for greater trust and open-handed generosity?
3. We need to a good conversation and to listen to the community of other believers. Money and finances are not just a private matter but communal and best done within a community context.
4. Freedom in Christ and freedom in our giving means sacrificial giving, even when our finances seem tight. Giving releases the grip money has on our lives and even breaks the poverty mentality ("I never have enough").
When we do these things, we discover freedom worth far more than any amount of money we might have saved in our withholding. God has been dealing with me about Sabbath----spiritual times of rest and focus as well as discipline. Has God given you a vision of liberation in Christ from Mammon's bondage? How are you doing?
How has the Holy Spirit led you into a moment of hilarious giving or spontaneous generosity?
IS ONE OF THOSE TESTS
"And he sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the multitude putting money into the treasury" (Mark 12:41). Jesus often spoke of money and draws our attention to look at our ways of giving. Do we do it cheerfully or begrudgingly? Does money call the shots in our life on what we can afford to buy or not buy and are we really free from the love of money?
If Christ has made us free, he has freed us from the power of money over our lives. Christ's continual presence with his community guides us through the unpredicatable ways of the Holy Spirit (see John 3:8). The Christian life is not some new rigid legal code. Rather, it is the church's response to the Apostles teachings and the Spirit's leading. We squirm when reading "No one claimed that any of his possesions were his own, but they shared everything they had . . . There was no needy person among them" (Acts 4:32, 34a). The resurrection reality and Spirit's guiding power allowed the early church to have a holy, almost reckless spontaneity. Are we today as secure in God's care to provide and the Spirit's ability to lead?
The Spirit blows where it wishes and we are free to respond to needs as the Spirit leads. So as I reflect on this issue of holy hilarity in our giving, here are some thoughts I jotted down in preparation for our discipleship study on God's economy:
1. Soak yourself in the Bible's sometimes soothing, but also unsettling words about trust.
2. We need to make the issue of our finances a matter of regular prayer. Do we pray for greater trust and open-handed generosity?
3. We need to a good conversation and to listen to the community of other believers. Money and finances are not just a private matter but communal and best done within a community context.
4. Freedom in Christ and freedom in our giving means sacrificial giving, even when our finances seem tight. Giving releases the grip money has on our lives and even breaks the poverty mentality ("I never have enough").
When we do these things, we discover freedom worth far more than any amount of money we might have saved in our withholding. God has been dealing with me about Sabbath----spiritual times of rest and focus as well as discipline. Has God given you a vision of liberation in Christ from Mammon's bondage? How are you doing?
How has the Holy Spirit led you into a moment of hilarious giving or spontaneous generosity?
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