Archives by: Gary Hoag

For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? 1 Corinthians 4:7

“Let me exhort you to take this seriously. It is not to be understood as mere Bible teaching to be stored away in the mind along with an inert mass of other doctrines. It is a marker on the road to greener pastures, a path chiseled against the steep sides of the mount of God. We dare not try to bypass it if we would follow on in this holy pursuit. We must ascend a step at a time. If we refuse one step we bring our progress to an end…

There can be no doubt that this possessive clinging to things is one of the most harmful habits in life. Because it is so natural it is rarely recognized for the evil that it is; but its outworkings are tragic. We are often hindered from giving up our treasures to the Lord out of fear for their safety; this is especially true when those treasures are loved relatives and friends. But we need have no such fears.

Our Lord came not to destroy but to save. Everything is safe which we commit to Him, and nothing is really safe which is not so committed. Our gifts and talents should also be turned over to Him. They should be recognized for what they are, God’s loan to us, and should never be considered in any sense our own. We have no more right to claim credit for special abilities than for blue eyes or strong muscles.”

A.W. Tozer (1897-1963) in The Pursuit of God, excerpt from Chapter Two, “The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing,” 11-12.

Modern day Americans often remind me of the Corinthians of the first century. While I could recount many sins of both groups, one of the most noteworthy is the possessive clinging to things. Back then, the Apostle Paul exhorted them to quit boasting because no measure of wealth made them any different from anyone else. Everything they had they received from God. The same is true for us today! So what are we to do with all that God has given us? 

Tozer rightly notes a key step in our spiritual maturity is committing all we are and all we have to God. Fear holds us back from this, so he keenly states that God is the only safe place to commit ourselves and everything we possess. All we have is merely on loan from God anyway. Let’s resolve to stop possessively clinging to things! Why do this? As Tozer puts it, “the blessedness of having nothing” positions us to take hold of life the Kingdom!

Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all His benefits. Psalm 103:2

“Open my heart, O Lord, to Your law and teach me to walk in the way of Your commandments. Let me understand Your will. Let me remember Your blessings — all of them and each single one of them — with great reverence and care so that henceforth I may return worthy thanks for them. I know that I am unable to give due thanks for even the least of Your gifts. I am unworthy of the benefits You have given me, and when I consider Your generosity my spirit faints away before its greatness. All that we have of soul and body, whatever we possess interiorly or exteriorly, by nature or by grace, are Your gifts and they proclaim Your goodness and mercy from which we have received all good things.”

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471) in The Imitation of Christ, excerpt from chapter 22, “Remember the Innumerable Gifts of God,” translated by Harry Plantinga (1994) 60.

As I try to explore the heart of the generous person from God’s perspective, my mind goes to classic works like The Imitation of Christ. From Thomas à Kempis, we discover at least two vital characteristics of generous people. They direct all gratitude and glory to God. This is likewise evident in David as he recounts the many benefits of God in Psalm 103 and directs praise heavenward! He says, in plain terms, praise God because we don’t get the many awful things we deserve and we get innumerable kindnesses we don’t deserve. Want to do the same with me today? Wherever you are reading this around the world, stop what you are doing. Praise God and remember your blessings with gratitude. Give thanks for at least three things out loud.

One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. People curse the one who hoards grain, but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell. Whoever seeks good finds favor, but evil comes to one who searches for it. Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. Proverbs 11:24-28

“We are here taught the great lesson, that to get, we must give; that to accumulate, we must scatter; that to make ourselves happy, we must make others happy; and that in order to become spiritually vigorous, we must seek the spiritual good of others. In watering others, we are ourselves watered. How? Our efforts to be useful, bring out our powers for usefulness. We have latent talents and dormant faculties, which are brought to light by exercise. Our strength for labour is hidden even from ourselves, until we venture forth to fight the Lord’s battles, or to climb the mountains of difficulty.

We do not know what tender sympathies we possess until we try to dry the widow’s tears, and soothe the orphan’s grief. We often find in attempting to teach others, that we gain instruction for ourselves. Oh, what gracious lessons some of us have learned at sick beds! We went to teach the Scriptures, we came away blushing that we knew so little of them. In our converse with poor saints, we are taught the way of God more perfectly for ourselves and get a deeper insight into divine truth. So that watering others makes us humble.

We discover how much grace there is where we had not looked for it; and how much the poor saint may outstrip us in knowledge. Our own comfort is also increased by our working for others. We endeavour to cheer them, and the consolation gladdens our own heart. Like the two men in the snow; one chafed the other’s limbs to keep him from dying, and in so doing kept his own blood in circulation, and saved his own life. The poor widow of Sarepta gave from her scanty store a supply for the prophet’s wants, and from that day she never again knew what want was. Give then, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and running over.”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon in Morning by Morning reading for August 21 (Peabody: Hendrickson, 2006). Special thanks to Scott Rodin for sharing this with me.

The paradox of the great lesson about generosity set forth by Solomon and so keenly described by Spurgeon is that we never get it until we give. We never grasp life in God’s abundant economy until we put what we have been entrusted to work. What do you have that you can give today? Grace, truth, kindness, love, money, compassion, wisdom, or anything else…whatever it is…Race to give it, because you too will discover that in so doing, you won’t end up empty when you give, but rather, enriched.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:2-3

“God the Eternal keep you faithful to each other so that the peace of Christ may abide in your home.

May God bless you in your work and your companionship; in your sleeping and in your waking. May you have true friends to stand by you in your joys and in your sorrows; in your life and in your death.

God the Eternal keep you faithful to each other so that the peace of Christ may abide in your home.

Serve God and your neighbor in all that you do. Bear witness to the love of God in this world, so that those to whom love is a stranger will find in you generous friends.

God the Eternal keep you faithful to each other so that the peace of Christ may abide in your home.”

Herbert Anderson with Robert Cotton Fite in Becoming Married (Louisville: WJKP, 1993) 81.

A young couple recently came over to our home seeking advice to navigate a disagreement. Within minutes we realized that this issue was only a symptom of some deeper issues. While they are tempted to give in, we have hope for this couple in Christ.

That led me to do some reading to try to locate ways to show love to this couple. In so doing, I came across this blessing. I pray it for them and for everyone reading this post who is married today. And if you are married, please share this with your spouse.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

“What are we are for in the first place? The fundamental answer…is that what we’re “here for” is to become genuine human beings, reflecting the God in whose image we’re made, and doing so in worship on the one hand and in mission, in its full and large sense, on the other; and that we do this not least by “following Jesus.”

The way this works out is that it produces, through the work of the Holy Spirit, a transformation of character. This transformation will mean that we do indeed “keep the rules” — though not out of a sense of externally imposed “duty,” but out of the character that has been formed within us. And it will mean that we do indeed “follow our hearts” and live “authentically” — but only when, with that transformed character fully operative (like an airline pilot with a lifetime’s experience), the hard work up front bears fruit in spontaneous decisions and actions that reflect what has been formed deep within.

And, in the wider world, the challenge we face is to grow and develop a fresh generation of leaders, in all walks of life, whose character has been formed in wisdom and public service, not in greed for money or power.”

N.T. Wright in After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters (New York: HarperCollins, 2012) 26.

Generosity is a byproduct of God’s work in our lives. It’s what happens when Christ’s character is formed in us. In Pauline terms, it’s a fruit of the Spirit (cf. Galatians 5:22-23). On this Monday morning, if you want to grow in generosity, focus on following Jesus, today, tomorrow, and everyday after that. You won’t need a “why” or a reason to be generous, because this is the only “how” it is produced. The Holy Spirit transforms us from people who seek to be served to people who serve, from people of greed to people of generosity. It’s not our work; it’s Christ’s work in us.

Jesus looked around and hareaw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them. John 1:38a

“What do you want? That’s the question. It is the first, last and most fundamental question of Christian discipleship…Our wants and longings and desires are at the core of our identity, the wellspring from which our actions and behavior flow. Our wants reverberate from our heart, the epicenter of the human person. Thus Scripture counsels, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Prov. 4:23). Discipleship, we might say, is a way to curate your heart to be attentive to and intentional about what you love.

So discipleship is more a matter of hungering and thirsting than of knowing and believing. Jesus’s command to follow Him is a command to align our loves and longings with His — to want what God wants, to desire what God desires, to hunger and thirst after God and crave a world where He is all in all — a vision encapsulated by the shorthand, “the kingdom of God.

Jesus is a teacher who doesn’t just form our intellect but forms our very loves. He isn’t content to simply deposit new ideas into your mind; He is after nothing less than your wants, your loves, your longings. His “teaching” doesn’t just touch the calm, cool, collected space of reflection and contemplation; He is a teacher who invades the heated passionate regions of the heart.”

James K. A. Smith in You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2016) 2.

I am reading this book as his name came up twice in the past few weeks. Philip Eubanks, my friend who is doing PhD studies in the UK on “desire” linked to stewardship and generosity, mentioned him, and James Hoxworth, our pastor, quoted it in a recent sermon. You Are What You Love contains some powerful ideas about reorienting both our minds and hearts toward the things God loves through the habits we practice.

Notice, when Jesus started His earthly ministry He called people to repent, change directions, and pursue something different. It’s not just something better; it’s the only good life! It’s only found when we “curate” our hearts, so that our loves and longings are rightly aligned with God’s heart. It’s more than knowing and believing the truth. It’s about hungering and thirsting after the only thing that satisfies.

What does this have to do with generosity? When our loves and longings are aligned with Christ, we give to things God cares about. We become rich toward God through our care for everyone, from our neighbor, to the lost and the least in society. This reminds me of a story. Hang with me. It will be worth it. And the new header photo from our walk last night fits well with it.

One day my UK doctoral advisor, Stephen Finamore, told me this story. He called it “The Monk and the Jewel.” I think it illustrates well the point of today’s post and what I believe generosity looks like when our loves and longings are rightly aligned. We become unbelievably generous. To the best of my recollection, the story goes like this.

One day a monk was walking along a path and came upon a jewel, a valuable gem. He picked it up, packed it into his bag, and continued on his journey home.

Shortly thereafter, the monk heard a knock at the door. He opened it and found a wandering soul. He asked, “What do you want?” The beggar asked for money to buy food and drink. The monk told the sad beggar that he had no money, but he did have the priceless jewel that he found. He promptly and freely handed over the jewel.

The wanderer, with astonishment, took the gem, went into town, bought much more than food and drink. The wanderer found a place to get a bath, a warm place to sleep, and bought new clothing. “This is the good life! Or is it?” The wanderer could not stop thinking about the monk.

The next morning, the wanderer returned to the place where the monk lived and knocked again. The door opened. Again the monk asked, “What do you want?” This time the seeker inquired pointedly, “I want whatever you have that is more valuable than that gem that would lead you to share it with me so generously.”

The monk welcomed the seeking soul into his home. They sat down together. The monk shared all about Jesus, the greatest treasure anyone could ever have, and the reason he shared so richly and freely. The seeking soul found Jesus that day and hungered and thirsted no more.

“What do you want?”

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:44-45

“The most important question is this: What use is made of the things thought to be blessings, and of the things reputed evil? The good man is not exalted by this world’s goods; nor is he overwhelmed by this world’s ills. The bad man is punished by misfortune of this kind just because he is corrupted by good fortune.

However, it often happens that God shows more clearly His manner of working in the distribution of good and bad fortune. For if punishment were obviously inflicted on every wrongdoing in this life, it would be supposed that nothing was reserved for the last judgment; on the other hand, if God’s power never openly punished any sin in this world, there would be an end to belief in providence.

Similarly in respect of good fortune; if God did not grant it to some petitioners with manifest generosity, we should not suppose that these temporal blessings were His concern, while if He bestowed prosperity on all just for the asking, we might think that God was to be served merely for the sake of rewards, and any service of Him would prove us not godly but rather greedy and covetous.

This being so, when the good and the wicked suffer alike, the identity of their sufferings does not mean that there is no difference between them. Though the sufferings are the same, the sufferers remain different. Virtue and vice are not the same, even if they undergo the same torment.

The fire which makes gold shine makes chaff smoke; the same flail breaks up the straw and clears the grain; and oil is not mistaken for lees because both are forced out by the same press. In the same way, the violence which assails good men to test them, to cleanse and purify them, effects in the wicked their condemnation, ruin, and annihilation.

Thus the wicked, under pressure of affliction, execrate God and blaspheme; the good, in the same affliction, offer up prayers and praises. This shows that what matters is the nature of the sufferer, not the nature of the sufferings. Stir a cesspit, and foul stench arises; stir a perfume, and a delightful fragrance ascends. But the movement is identical.”

Augustine of Hippo (354-430) in City of God, Book 1, Chapter 8: “Blessings and disasters often shared by good and bad” (New York: Penguin, 1972) 13-14.

While some people listen to podcasts, I prefer to read Augustine. He was a prolific communicator who makes sense of life in God.

This week had many highs and lows for us. Daughter settling into her new R.A. role at college (high). Son had his vehicle die (low). I am nearing completion of a draft of another book manuscript (high). Jenni has been sick for nearly four weeks (low). I could go on an on.

Perhaps you can relate. Friends, we are here to give others the gift of perspective, whether in prosperity or suffering.

Father in heaven, by your Holy Spirit, make us people who are neither exalted by this world’s goods, nor overwhelmed by this world’s ills, so that we celebrate your providence, reflect your generosity, and receive joyfully both blessing and suffering, which are all for our good. Hear our gratitude, we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Job 1:20-21

“How should disciples deal simply with the goods of the earth? Jesus does not forbid them to use the goods. Jesus was human. He ate and drank just as the disciples did. In so doing, He purified the use of the goods of the earth. Disciples should gratefully use the goods required for their bodies’ daily need and nutrition — goods which are consumed in sustaining life…Goods are given to us to be used, but not to be stored away.

Just as Israel in the desert received manna daily from God and did not have to worry about food and drink, and just as the manna which was stored from one day for another rotted, so should Jesus’ disciples receive their daily share from God. But if they store it up as lasting treasure, they will spoil both the gift and themselves. The heart clings to collected treasure. Stored-up possessions get between me and God. Where my treasure is, there is my trust, my security, my comfort, my God. Treasure means idolatry.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Discipleship (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2003) 162-163.

When this week began, we were a family of four with four reliable used cars. Thankfully we are still a family of four, but down one car. On Wednesday afternoon, Sammy was en route to Bailey to serve as a fly fishing guide for three clients and the engine in his 1997 Toyota Rav4 gave out while climbing the last ridge into Conifer.

Thankfully Jenni and I were available to drive up and give him my 2001 Rav4 to use indefinitely, and AAA promptly towed his vehicle to the shop. Upon hearing the news about his car later that night, we asked him how he felt. His tone reflected the openhanded worship of Job. We saw gratitude! He was thankful to use it for five years but was never attached to it. Sammy modeled for us what it means to “deal simply” with stuff.

Later that evening, Jenni and I compared our calendars and realized that we can do just fine sharing one car through October. I may need a ride or two to the airport, but nothing that can’t be sorted. We marveled that one car is all we need, at least for a season. We worshiped on our morning walk yesterday and gave thanks for God’s faithfulness.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

“So instead of lands, buy afflicted souls, each one according to their ability. Visit widows and orphans, and do not overlook them. Spend your wealth and all your possessions which you received from the Lord on such ‘lands’ and ‘houses’ as these, for the Master made you rich so that you might perform these services to Him. It is much better to purchase these kinds of ‘lands’, ‘possessions’ and ‘houses’, as you will find out in your own City when you go live there. This is a noble and sacred purchase which no sorrow or fear accompanies, only joy. Do not invest in the things that unbelievers do, because it is detrimental to you who are the servants of God. Instead, practice your own kind of purchasing that you can rejoice in. Do not corrupt or touch what is someone else’s; do not covet it, because it is an evil thing to covet what belongs to other men. Focus on your own tasks and you will be saved.”

Shepherd of Hermas (c. late first or early to mid-second century) in “The First Parable” of the Shepherd of Hermas: Updated to Modern Language by Daniel Robinson (North Charleston: CreateSpace, 2013) 38.

I just sent a faithful meditations reader (who is a new friend of mine) a copy of this classic work as a belated birthday present. I posted the first sentence as a meditation way back on on 23 October 2010, and decided to include a larger selection today. It’s a good example of early church literature that relates to generosity.

Many people were destroyed by detrimental decisions back then. Sadly, the problem persists today when we live for and set our affections on this earthly realm and not the eternal kingdom. How can we be saved or delivered from the covetous thinking around us? What services has God placed us here to perform? The shepherd of pastor says: Pour money into souls in distress according to your ability.

Why send this book to my friend? He has an aim, a lifetime goal, of storing up $100,000,000 in the “City” where he will spend eternity. To what does he give? He feels led by God to aid afflicted souls. I affirmed his objective and offered to do whatever I can to hold his arms up. Help him to that end, Lord Jesus!

This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us… 1 John 4:10a

“In God there is no hunger than needs to be filled, only plenteousness that desires to give…God, who needs nothing, loves into existence wholly superfluous creatures in order that He may love and perfect them.”

C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) in The Four Loves (New York: Harper Collins, 1960) 162.

Plenteousness is a great word to describe God’s generosity, which flows abundantly like a fountain. He desires to give, and yet many don’t receive. I am learning we are here on this earth to teach others how to tap into His plenteousness.

We, on the other hand, are superfluous, unnecessary and unneeded, and yet, He both loves and perfects us. Not by giving us what we want, but rather, what we need. What a generous, loving God we serve. Worship Him today that is love!