When I was a kid growing up in a Pentecostal Church I would often hear testimonies during an "offering series" from people about tithing and giving and they would say things like I don't know how it happens but my bank account is always fine all the time. I can't explain it we just follow What God Says and he takes care of us. There is always money to pay bills and for everything that we need and more.
I always thought it was a bunch of Hocus Pocus. I mean how convenient "I can't explain it it just happens"
Well now that I'm older my attitude towards giving has changed as I have grown in a real relationship with Christ and I have seen this to be very true. I love to give when I see a need I do my best to meet it for the simple fact that there is a need. I don't make much money (I'm a family life Minister in a small Christian church) but I am constantly blessed with opportunities to make money (I teach music on the side) that would not have been there and somehow my bank account is always fine and I always have enough to meet my needs and more and I can't explain it.
Seeing this happen in my own life strengthens my resolve to give without worrying about it and to give unconditionally and that is the point that I want to make in this little post.
In today's capitalist Society I think that we even as a church and as Christians are conditioned to get a return on our investment... in other words we think that if we give there has to be some sort of return. For example if I give some money to a single mother who needs to keep her electricity on she should start coming to church and get her life together the way I think she needs to.
To me that is just not biblical. The parable of the Good Samaritan simply put is a person helping another person simply because the person needed help. Jesus answered the lawyer using the Samaritan as the hero because the Samaritan was despised by the Jews and would never help a Samaritan and vice versa. Jesus wanted to make sure we all know that everyone is our neighbor and we are to love unconditionally whether we think our neighbor deserves it or not.
Aren't we glad that God loved us so much that He sent His only Son for our salvation? We did not deserve it and we did not earn it.
I guess what I'm trying to say is love your neighbor unconditionally. Give with no strings attached I believe God puts people in our path with a specific need that he knows we can meet and he already has a plan in place.
We should trust his provision and not hide behind the cliche good stewardship. Yes we need to pay attention to where our money goes as a church and as a family but we should not let that get in the way of loving our neighbor.
I always thought it was a bunch of Hocus Pocus. I mean how convenient "I can't explain it it just happens"
Well now that I'm older my attitude towards giving has changed as I have grown in a real relationship with Christ and I have seen this to be very true. I love to give when I see a need I do my best to meet it for the simple fact that there is a need. I don't make much money (I'm a family life Minister in a small Christian church) but I am constantly blessed with opportunities to make money (I teach music on the side) that would not have been there and somehow my bank account is always fine and I always have enough to meet my needs and more and I can't explain it.
Seeing this happen in my own life strengthens my resolve to give without worrying about it and to give unconditionally and that is the point that I want to make in this little post.
In today's capitalist Society I think that we even as a church and as Christians are conditioned to get a return on our investment... in other words we think that if we give there has to be some sort of return. For example if I give some money to a single mother who needs to keep her electricity on she should start coming to church and get her life together the way I think she needs to.
To me that is just not biblical. The parable of the Good Samaritan simply put is a person helping another person simply because the person needed help. Jesus answered the lawyer using the Samaritan as the hero because the Samaritan was despised by the Jews and would never help a Samaritan and vice versa. Jesus wanted to make sure we all know that everyone is our neighbor and we are to love unconditionally whether we think our neighbor deserves it or not.
Aren't we glad that God loved us so much that He sent His only Son for our salvation? We did not deserve it and we did not earn it.
I guess what I'm trying to say is love your neighbor unconditionally. Give with no strings attached I believe God puts people in our path with a specific need that he knows we can meet and he already has a plan in place.
We should trust his provision and not hide behind the cliche good stewardship. Yes we need to pay attention to where our money goes as a church and as a family but we should not let that get in the way of loving our neighbor.
