Meditations

“We serve a generous God. In fact our Heavenly Father demonstrates His generosity to us in this: while we were sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). The most generous act the universe has ever known and will ever know is God’s love through Christ’s sacrifice.

If we are to be His ambassadors who live a life of generosity, we will invest in the lives of others in many ways. An acrostic based on the word LIFE illustrates areas we can be generous: Through our Labor, Influence, Finances, and Expertise.

At any given time, God may provide resources that allow us to demonstrate His love to others that involve giving a helping hand (labor), using our position of authority (influence), blessing others with gifts (finances), or sharing a skill set or knowledge (expertise), all expressed lovingly for the benefit of those around us.”

Lee Truax serves as the President of CBMC. This quote comes from his letter in The Connector Fall Newsletter 2015, page 2.

Today I will explore this paradigm — LIFE — in the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels at the CBMC retreat. Thanks for your prayers, but don’t stop there.

Take five minutes today to consider how this acronym “LIFE” may shape your generosity. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in deploying your labor, influence, finances, and expertise, for God’s glory.

“As Christian workers who seek to empower others, especially the poor and marginalized, let us not forget to point out and live out that the real source of power is God. This is what differentiates Christian community organizing from other types of organizing. It recognizes that although they are real and substantial, individual power — personal gifts and positions of responsibility — as well as collective power — people acting together — are nevertheless derivative power. They are made possible only by the grace of the Creator and Redeemer God.”

Athena Evelyn Gorospe in “A Biblical Model of Empowerment” in The Church and Poverty in Asia (Quezon City/Manila: Asian Theological Seminary/OMF Literature, 2008) 72.

As I continue to explore modern perspectives on generosity, this Filipino perspective rightly reminds the world that our gracious God, not our gifts or positions is the power for mission, and that God works through people acting together by the grace of God. It is important to understand this because “empowerment” is buzz word for many Christ followers who seek to serve the poor. There can be no empowerment apart from His power (cf. John 15:5).

Today I head to Vail, CO with my wife to speak tomorrow and Saturday at the CBMC President’s Retreat. Pray for receptive hearts and for the Holy Spirit to minister through Jenni and me. I also want to tip my cap to my mother! She turns “75” today! Thanks Mom for the way in which you have modeled service to the poor and marginalized relying on the grace of God. Whenever people compliment her, she always says: “The good you see in me is Jesus!” Happy Birthday Mom!

“Stewardship emerges out of a heart of faith that confesses Christ…A good steward, like Christ, humbly puts the interests of others before his/her own…Good stewards rejoice in their freedom in Christ and embrace their slavery to their neighbor through a bond of love. Stewards are motivated by grace, rather than law, and freely chose to bind themselves in service to their neighbor…

Good stewards are not greedy with their possessions. Rather, they realize that everything belongs to God and God has called them to share their abundance with the needy…All that we are and all that we have belongs to God. God has claimed us and promised to be with us, thus we are not alone in our work of stewarding God’s creation…Good stewards give exuberantly in response to all that God has done for them.”

Mary Sue Dreier and Grace Duddy in excerpts from “Top Ten Little Known Stewardship Verses” from the Anglican Church of Canada Resources for Mission website.

Today’s contemporary perspective comes from Canada. It’s a refreshing example of stewardship in the context of discipleship based on ten Scripture verses (find them in the article). Dreier and Duddy remind us that our stewardship is rooted in Christ, lived out alongside our neighbors, and always with our abundant God.

Do you confess Christ? Do you realize the freedom you have from the Law, and that you are a slave with a new master who has given you one command? To love! To love God and one another, that is! Because God is love and because He has given us Himself, we will never run out of love. He’s the abundance that fuels our exuberant generosity!

“Christian Stewardship is not a programme, nor is about raising money. Instead, it is part of our lifelong discipleship journey.

Stewardship is a way of life in which we regard ourselves and our possessions as being held on trust from God, to be used in His service. God has made us His stewards or managers of everything He has given to us: our time, our abilities, our possessions, our money, our whole lives.

Stewardship for Christians is not about giving so that the church can “make ends meet” but, rather acknowledging how generously God has given to us and then generously giving back to God and seeing His church grow as it is resourced for mission and ministry.”

Stephanie Rankin of the Diocese of Blackburn, the Church of England in Lancashire. For more on their Giving in Grace resources, visit their website.

Today’s perspective on stewardship in the local church comes from the UK.

Rankin rightly places stewardship in the context of discipleship, while helping people realize that it’s not about the money, but about realizing your role and the purpose for resources linked to mission and ministry.

What about your church? Do you teach stewardship as part of lifelong discipleship?

“Stewardship is defined as “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.” A steward is one entrusted with managing the property of another. He [or She] is only a manager or caretaker, not the owner…Good stewardship leads to surplus, bad stewardship results in debt. When people are assigned to manage resources, they are expected to bring about increase, not decrease. Applied to money, the good steward must ensure that income is greater than expenses…

I believe that God wants believers to practice but stewardship and generosity. These two are linked together. If one is a faithful, competent steward, he will generate surplus. A major part of this surplus can then be given away…To be a good steward, a person must be frugal and wise in this lifestyle so that he [or she] can engage in a lot of good works. The theologian John R. W. Stott wrote, “We should travel light and live simply. Our enemy is not possessions but excess.”

Rene Resurreccion in “Practical Applications of Stewardship” article in The Earth is the Lord’s: Reflections on Stewardship in the Asian Context (Quezon City/Manila: Asian Theological Seminary/OMF Literature, 2011) 146-150.

Yesterday a Canadian urged us to teach and preach stewardship, and today a Filipino urges is to practice stewardship and generosity. When we live within our means and put God’s resources to work, it results in surplus for sharing. What about you? Does your stewardship result in surplus or are you enslaved to debt? Are you engaging in good works or overcome by excess? Resolve today to travel light and live simply so you can be found both faithful and generous.

Jenni and I are heading home from San Diego today. Since Sophie loves coffee and often studies at her favorite coffee shop, we left her with a gift card. Her response blessed us. She said, “Thanks,” and added, “And I hope it’s okay, since I am living within my budget, every chance I get, I buy coffee for my friends, just like you guys taught me.” Priceless! Good stewardship leads to surplus and generous sharing!

“Although wealth and sharing are two of the major issues addressed in Scripture, and Jesus spoke about giving more than about any other single issue, most pastors are reluctant to preach on the subject regularly. Theological schools also do not deal with this subject and have had no required course on it in their curriculum. As a result, financial giving for Christian ministry is still minimal in most churches and Christian organizations. Sermons, seminars, courses, and lectures on topics such as Biblical Stewardship, Giving and Sharing, and Christian Fundraising, should be mandatory for every church and theological school. Only if the theological school and the local church begin to teach and preach with conviction that everything—all that we are and all that we have—belongs to God and not to human beings will there be sufficient resources and finances for future Christian ministry, including theological education.”

Manfred Kohl in his “Biblical Stewardship” article in The Earth is the Lord’s: Reflections on Stewardship in the Asian Context (Quezon City/Manila: Asian Theological Seminary/OMF Literature, 2011) 134.

Preach it Manfred! If you feel there are inadequate resources for mission in the church or ministry where you serve, assess what you are doing to teach biblical stewardship principles and how you are modeling obedience to the teachings of Jesus!

It’s great to see that Sophie is flourishing at San Diego Christian College. She’s found a great church, she’s living within her means, and she’s doing her best in school. Jenni and I are praising God as we see her living, giving, serving, and loving generously.

“Each of us contributes to the current garbage crisis; therefore, we must share the responsibility of resolving it. This means we are to change our worldview and be willing to accept our stewardship assignment from God. In so doing, we expose the strongholds of consumerism first in our churches, and prompt others and remind ourselves to live simply. This, in turn, will form a counter-culture against the current economic and social system that destroys creation.

You and I need to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste. If we love God’s creation the way God loves it, and if we want to leave for future generations a planet that is both livable and reflective of the beauty and greatness of its Creator, then as God’s people we should undertake the needed action. We should also teach and share with the members of our churches the underlying principles and practices of creation care, and advocate these principles and practices in wider society.”

Peter Nitschke, adjunct faculty and CTUL director at Asian Theological Seminary in his “Theology for the Garbage Bin” article in The Earth is the Lord’s: Reflections on Stewardship in the Asian Context (Quezon City/Manila: Asian Theological Seminary/OMF Literature, 2011) 83.

This article rightly speaks to the impact of the self-indulgent lifestyle: it leaves a mess. Let’s resolve to taking intentional steps to live simply and steward God’s creation with care. This is yet another way we can live generously!

“The Lord will demand from us an account of our help to the needy according to what we have and not according to what we have not (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:12).”

Diadochos of Photiki (c. 450-500) in “On Spiritual Knowledge and Discrimination” 66, in The Philokalia: The Complete Text, compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain and St. Makarius of Corinth, Volume 1 (London: Faber & Faber, 1979) 274.

Today’s post seems like a fitting one to wrap up my recent exploration of the Orthodox Church Fathers. Helping the poor is not optional! Someday we will have to give an account of what we did with what we had. What account will you give?

Tomorrow, I will shift to exploring generosity in the thinking of contemporary voices from around the world. That’s the focus of my reading now as I arrived safely in San Diego late last night. My wife came in earlier yesterday. We are here to visit our daughter, Sophie, at San Diego Christian College.

“The Law figuratively commands men to work for six days and on the seventh day to rest (cf. Exodus 20:9-10). The term ‘work’ when applied to the soul signifies acts of kindness and generosity by means of our possession — that is, through material things. But the soul’s rest and repose is to sell everything and ‘give to the poor’ (Matthew 19:21), as Christ Himself said; so through its lack of possessions it will rest from its work and devote itself to spiritual hope. Such is the rest into which Paul also exhorts us to enter, saying: ‘Let us strive therefore to enter that rest’ (Hebrews 4:11).”

Mark the Faster (fifth century) was also discipled of John Chyrsostom (as was Neilos of Sinai cited yesterday). His works are recounted in The Philokalia: The Complete Text, compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain and St. Makarius of Corinth, Volume 1 (London: Faber & Faber, 1979) 137.

God made us to work and rest. He also gave us instructions about what to do with the fruit of work. We are to enjoy it and deploy it to those in need. When we hoard it for ourselves we actually fail to experience the rest God intends for us (think: we are a slave to whatever we think we own, as God owns everything). But that’s not all we miss out on. With this reading, the wise student of one of the most famous preachers in the early church deciphers a deeper spiritual truth.

People who fail to follow God’s design for work and handling possessions do not enter “rest” — that is, these souls miss out on grasping the “spiritual hope” offered to them. So worrying about what they have stockpiled distracts them from seeking God first and experiencing the hope they have in Him. Pray with me as I talk about the integration of faith and work in God’s economy with a group of pastors and lay leaders in Arkansas today that they will grasp this profound truth.

“Detachment is the mark of a perfect soul, whereas it is characteristic of an imperfect soul to be worn down with anxiety about material things. The perfect soul is called a ‘lily among thorns’ (Song of Solomon 2:2), meaning that it lives with detachment in the midst of those who are troubled by such anxiety. For in the Gospel the lily signifies the soul that is detached from worldly care: ‘They do not toil or spin . . . yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of them’ (Matthew 6:28-29).

But of those who devote much anxious thought to bodily things, it is said: ‘All the life of the ungodly is spent in anxiety’ (Job 15:20, LXX). It is indeed ungodly to pass one’s whole life worrying about bodily things and to give no thought to the blessings of the age to come — to spend all one’s time on the body, though it does not need much attention, and not to devote even a passing moment to the soul, though the journey before it is so great that a whole lifetime is too short to bring it to perfection. Even if we do seem to allot a certain amount of time to it, we do this carelessly and lazily, for we are always being attracted by visible things.”

Neilos of Sinai (died c. 430) in The Philokalia: The Complete Text, compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain and St. Makarius of Corinth, Volume 1 (London: Faber & Faber, 1979) 244-245.

Feeling warn down? Anxious about bodily things? Attracted by visible things? Don’t be careless and lazy! It’s time to press on to perfection. Remember, “perfect” in the ancient Mediterranean mind means “mature” and “imperfect” means “immature” so don’t let the language confuse you.

I returned safely last night from Milwaukee, WI, and tonight am flying to Little Rock, AR, to teach at an Anglican Mission Clergy Retreat. Father, give me strength and wisdom to point those I serve to “perfection” by your Holy Spirit. Do this I ask in the name of Jesus. Amen!