Tag Archives: generous

Rich Toward God – The Question

Christian Life, , ,

RICH TOWARD GOD – THE QUESTION

“This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich towards God.” Luke 12:21 (The Message).

Rich toward God? What does that mean?

There is a great deal of difference between getting rich and being rich. Endless numbers of people within the community of believers are eager to tell us that it is our God-given right to get rich, and how to get rich. Strange that the Bible doesn’t give us the ‘Seven Steps to Getting Rich’ but, throughout Scripture we are told, even urged how to use what we have to bless others.

The state of being rich is not easy to define. There is no standard by which to measure wealth. To someone who is hungry, a loaf of bread is ‘rich’. We can never answer the question, ‘How much is enough?’ because ‘enough’ always moves, depending on our insatiable wants. A simple definition of rich would be ‘enough for my needs and some over to share with others.’ That puts richness within the reach of people who would never see themselves as rich.

The Apostle Paul has some specific counsel to Timothy for those who recognise that they are rich. In 1 Timothy 6:17 he says, ‘”Command those who are rich in this present world neither to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain…” Now that is wise counsel. Paul encapsulates in a few words the danger of having riches in this world but not being rich – an arrogant attitude and a false hope. Funny how owning ‘things’ gives us the false idea that we are better than those who don’t have them! What is it about ‘things’ that adds to our intrinsic worth, especially since we can’t take them with us?

Secondly, what is it about ‘things’ that makes us feel secure? Does our connection to God as our Father mean nothing without some numbers in our bank account? Do His infallible promises mean nothing if we don’t have figures in our current account? How secure are we near the end of the month? This is the acid test of our confidence in God.

Paul goes on, “…but to put their hope in God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” Now that’s security that does not depend on the exchange rate, the stock market or the state of the world’s economy! It’s a fine balancing act to live in God’s kingdom and, at the same time, to navigate the world’s system to do it. We are ‘in the world but not of it.’ Therefore money and possessions should always be our servant and never our master.

God is neither stingy nor a killjoy. He means us to enjoy the material blessings He showers on us but, and here’s the twist in the tale, God has another agenda in His economic system. Why is He so generous to us? Why does He shower His bounty on us? Not because we deserve His generosity. After all we are the rebel race. If we miss this, we have missed the reason for our existence. He does it for His glory!

God governs His world by universal laws which never change and always apply. God’s provision for us always comes in the wake of our giving first. The simple rule is, ‘Give, and it will be given to you…’ Whatever we need, we are instructed to give away and it will come back to us in abundant measure.

(To be continued…)

Light Up Your World

Christian Life, , , , ,

LIGHT UP YOUR WORLD

“’No one lights a lamp, and then hides it in a drawer. It’s put on a lamp stand so those entering the room have light to see where they’re going. Your eye is a lamp, lighting up your whole body. If you live wide-eyed in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. Keep your eyes open, your lamp burning, so you don’t get musty and murky. Keep your life a well-lighted room.’” Luke 11:33-36 (The Message).

As a Jew, Jesus would have used the words, ‘light’ and ‘darkness’ from the understanding that they would be interpreted functionally, not literally. The ‘eye’ represented a person’s perspective on life. To have an ‘eye of light’ indicated that the person had a heart that was one (echad) with God with an unselfish and generous disposition. To have a dark or evil eye meant that the person was selfish and greedy, unable to see beyond his own nose.

People who believe that Jesus is the Son of God and have responded to His invitation to take His yoke, follow and learn from Him, have been relocated from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of light. They have had a change of master and a change of disposition. They are no longer ruled by greed. They have become generous givers, not only of their resources but also in attitude towards other people.

Jesus used this as the test of a person’s true response to Him. When Zaccheus received Him, his first action was to overturn his old life by being generous to the poor and by making restitution for his dishonesty. This, to Jesus, was evidence of a truly changed life.

That kind of life cannot be lived in secret. Just as there is no value in putting a light under a bed, there is no value in hiding your new life. A changed and generous disposition is intended to be a witness to God’s grace, setting the person free from the greed that brings judgment and replacing it with the joy of giving.

In his letter, James made a case for the futility of faith without good works. Good works in themselves cannot save, firstly because anything ‘good’ we try to do comes from polluted hearts, and secondly, because God is not impressed by our best self-effort. But when our sins have been removed and our hearts changed by God’s power, we are free to express the new life in us by a changed attitude to other people. We can now see them through God’s eyes and feel their need in our hearts.

God’s way of involving us in His government of mercy is to meet the needs of others through us. He provides for us through others so that, in turn, we can give away to those in need. In this way we create a current of resources which keeps circulating as long as we keep giving. What we hoard stops the flow of that current and shuts down the joy that comes from doing life God’s way. ‘Keep the current flowing,’ said Jesus, ‘and your life will be lit up with God’s presence and joy.’

Can We Ask Too Much?

Prayer, , , ,

CAN WE ASK TOO MUCH?

“If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing – you’re at least decent to your own children. And don’t you think that the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask Him.” Luke11:11-13, (The Message).

Again Jesus uses an exaggerated contrast to teach us the scope of God’s generosity to His children. Fathers give their children the simple things they ask for because it is within the scope of what they are able to do. They are generous to their children as good fathers because they are able to meet that need, and they do it because they love their children.

But what about our heavenly Father? How does He respond to the children to whom He gave spiritual birth through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus? According to Romans 8:32, “If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing Himself to the worst by sending His own Son, is there anything He wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us?” (The Message).

In this teaching on prayer in response to the disciples’ request, Jesus pins my attention on three questions:

1. Who and what is the focus of my prayer?

2. What is my attitude to Him?

3. What do I expect of Him?

If I can answer these three questions from His perspective, I have grasped the real meaning of prayer and can expect to nurture my fellowship with the Father as Jesus did.

In His model prayer, Jesus teaches me that prayer is primarily about who and what I must become aware of. Prayer is not prayer if it is all about me and my concerns. Prayer is the simple act of turning my head to face the One who can bear the burden. Why can I have confidence in Him to handle whatever my issues are? He is my Father, my life-source who is as near to me as my breath. He brought me to physical and spiritual birth and He has accepts full responsibility for me as His child.

Although He is unseen, He is real, more real than the world around me. He knows me more intimately than I know myself. I can hide nothing from Him; therefore I can best nurture my relationship with Him by being transparent and direct. As a tiny child comes to its father in dependence and trust, so I come to my Father with an open heart.

Although little children sometimes think that daddy can give them the world, they ask in innocence and ignorance, but there is nothing my Heavenly Father cannot supply according to my need. I have no need greater than the Holy Spirit and He has promised to give Him to me if I ask Him. He has already given me His Spirit and, because He leads me, I know that I am His son or daughter.

And so my understanding of prayer comes full circle back to the fundamental issue of sonship. Prayer is only prayer in the environment of God and me as Father and ‘son’. Prayer is not prayer unless it is the intimate interaction between Father and son.