Monday, October 12, 2009

The Journey of Giving-3/3

So God woke me up in the middle of the night with a question. I had been working and studying the concept of giving, especially as it relates to our giving to God and His ministry. Most of my thinking up to this point had centered around how much I should give or with what type of attitude I should give. However, here is the question that God brought to mind that really rocked my world.

"What if it's not about you?"

What???? At first I was a little stumped. Of course it's not about me. However, I soon realized that while I agreed that it was not about "me" it was only "me" that I was thinking about. How do I give? How much should I give? What's the best way for ME to give?

I was dumbfounded by my own selfishness.

What if it's really about a Holy and Almighty God who is always giving and refuses to stop giving? What if He is the best at giving and pours out generously based on His love and not our efforts? What if He is simply inviting us to be open to Him so that He may not only pours in us but through us as well?

Then I began to read familiar passage of scripture in a new way as God's giving jumped off the pages.
Read Romans 8:28-39.
Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.
Notice how God gives. Notice what He gives. Notice who He gives. Notice and recognize the giving God.

When I realized that it is actually God who is the true giver and... when I recognized what a holy activity giving was and...when I admitted that my efforts were not adequate to be considered sufficient and...when I confessed and submitted to my Almighty God...He opened a whole new world of giving that I had not known before.

I'm not saying that I have this perfected today but I am saying that God is at work in me, molding me into His image...the image of a giving God.

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