Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5
“If we want to make a river-bed dry, perhaps to investigate something of interest, it is no use drawing off the water in the particular place where we imagine the thing to be, since more water keeps flowing down. But if we cut off the flow from above, the river-bed becomes dry without any further effort on our part: the water automatically runs away, and so we can examine what interests us. Likewise, as soon as the senses are no longer supplying material from outside, it becomes easy to empty our mind of the impressions that produce the passions. But when the senses keep conveying a constant stream of impressions, it ‘is not just difficult but completely impossible to free the intellect from this inundation.”
Neilos of Sinai (d. 430) in Philokalia V1.232.
I am safely home.
But my mind is still with the children in the orphanages of Bangladesh (whose sandals are pictured above) and with the 14 leading accountants, lawyers, and professionals with whom I met in Mumbai, the financial capital of India.
In short, my mind is with those who need help and those who can help.
I spoke to the influencers and I am speaking now to you about the the heart of generosity. It relates to having a total change of mindset that guides the examination of your heart and life. You must cut off the flow to do this.
You must remove the inundation, as Neilos advises, to do proper investigation. Do this to allow God to change your heart and grow your generosity.
I had those 14 influencers cut off their phones and focus on ten steps they needed to make in their lives which cannot happen if the water continues to flow. If you want the handout I used with them, click here.
The same for you. You cannot examine what generosity looks like in your life without getting out of the flow, assessing your heart and your situation, and choosing to live, give, serve, and love differently.
When you remove the inundation to do proper investigation, you all the Holy Spirit to show you what needs to change and take those steps. Do download the handout and take steps today.