Nancy Guthrie: Giving yourself away

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Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 1 Timothy 6:9

“An insatiable appetite for wealth will only make you miserable. I intend to save your from being endlessly unsatisfied, irrelevant, selfish, and shallow. I’m calling you to find your joy not in amassing more for yourself but in giving more away — in giving yourself away.

By no means am I suggesting that you impoverish yourself; I’m showing you how to avoid impoverishing yourself… As you set your heart on Me, confident in My goodness, pouring out that confidence through a wealth of good works serving others, you will accumulate that which will enrich you forever.”

Nancy Guthrie in Abundant Life Day Book: 365 Blessings to Begin Your Day (Carol Stream: Tyndale House, 2011) June 6.

My journey in India began with a beautiful morning, driving on roads (with few lines) filled with cars, motorcycles, animals, and people going every direction. The air was filled with noises. People were adorned with rich colors. The photo above from the back seat of a car gives you a glimpse of my adventure. Each person I have met has been very kind to me, and for that I am deeply grateful.

Traveling internationally to new places always stretches me. Regardless of the place, my thoughts can range from captivation to suspicion. You may be surprised by what I enjoy most about it. I find peace in the zone of communion with Jesus. It’s indescribable! When I return to comfortable surrounds, I realize how easy it is to assimilate to the culture, get distracted from perpetual communion with Him, and be drawn to endless emptiness.

When we give ourselves away wherever God leads us, when we move out of our comfort zones, and when we set our hearts on the Lord, we move to places only possible through dependence on Him. There we learn new things, meet new people, and we are not overcome by our surrounds. Only then can we see the world for what it is: much that swirls around us seeks to impoverish us.

We can avoid becoming impoverished by setting our affections on Christ and allowing Him to produce a “wealth of good works” through us. If it sounds crazy, you really only figure it out as you live it out. Here’s my best advice: Leave your comfort zone. Take your kids with you (if you have kids). Hold tightly to Jesus. Avoid impoverishing yourself (and them), and give yourself away (figure it out together)!