Friday, December 11, 2015
Devotion VIDEO here
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. 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.” And
God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need
and plenty left over to share with others.
2 Corinthians 9:6-8(NLT)
Perhaps
I owe the prudence of my character to the days of my youth, under the wing of
parents who lived through the Great Depression era. Although I was raised in the post-WW2 boom
era of the 1950’s, there was little extravagance in the home of my youth.
Mom
kept a tight ship when it came to the household budget. She recorded every expenditure, and once went
off-the-chart-frazzled
over not being able to balance her expenses….there was a penny missing! She poured over those books for hours until
she finally remembered she had neglected to record the penny she had spent to
weigh herself on the scale outside the A&P.
I
don’t recall exactly how old I was when Mom and Dad started giving me an
allowance, but it coincided with having a little more freedom. In the late 1950’s having 45 cents in your
pocket meant you could go to a Saturday morning movie and eat popcorn. (That activity today may require a mortgage
broker).
It
has occurred to me on more than one occasion that my allowance, handed-out on
Saturday morning, after Friday’s payday, was just enough to get me to the
movies (including popcorn). But there
was always enough left over for a tithe to be dropped in the collection plate
the following Sunday morning…IF I still had it!
The
church we attended was only a minute’s walk away from the drugstore – land of
candy bars and other assorted wonders.
And Sunday School always let out 15 minutes before worship started –
enough time to walk briskly to the store, spend every last cent I had burning a
hole in my pocket on candy to load my pockets, and be back in time for the
prelude.
But
somewhere in the next 25 minutes they would pass the collection plate, and I
can still recall the guilt over having full pockets of chocolate and bubble
gum, but empty hands for the offering.
(I
also recall wondering if God was going to smite me right there on the front pew
for my selfishness).
I
was a perfect 9 year-old picture of the “reluctant, pressure-driven giver”.
It’s
not that Mom and Dad pressured me; they had simply and lovingly explained God’s
way of worship which includes acknowledging God’s ownership of all we have, and
how the offering plate helps us do that.
The pressure within me was all self-inflicted guilt over spending every
bit of what I received on me, and in the process ignoring God’s generosity, and
losing the opportunity to share with others.
I’m
a lot older and a little wiser now.
Although
we have managed to be faithful to tithe over the years, sometimes (especially
the difficult financially-challenging times) it has been an anguished
giving, rather than cheerful sharing.
But,
every now and then routine giving of 10% of whatever comes into the house gives
way to giving way more than looks possible, simply because I can see the need
of others, and remember the kindness God has shown us. And the wildest thing is how cheerful that
kind of giving can make me.
For You Today
If you keep your eyes open
today, you’re just liable to bump into a need God has placed in your
pathway. You may not think you have the
resources to do it….but think of the cheerful joy on the other side of God proving
you wrong!
Chew on that out on the
Rocky Road today…and have a great day!
[1]
Title image: By Ed Yourdon from New York City, USA
(Helping the homeless Uploaded by Gary
Dee), via Wikimedia Commons
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