Meditations

“If there is nothing so glorious as doing good, if there is nothing that makes us so like God, then nothing can be so glorious in the use of our money as to use it in works of goodness.”

William Law (1686-1761) English cleric, in Day’s Collacon compiled and arranged by Edward Parsons Day (New York: IPPO, 1884) 336.

Give generously today. Don’t just do this because it’s near the end of the calendar year for tax purposes. Use money to do good each and every day because there’s no better way to use it (cf. Galatians 6:9-10).

“Self-preservation and financial security are the main standards by which ungenerous Americans assess their lives. This approach thus stokes an anxiety that at worst is soothed by apathy and a withdrawal from concerns beyond one’s own individual concerns, and at best results in some intermittent caring, volunteering, and financial generosity. This framework also encourages a hoarding mentality…

Attaining the sort of happiness found in material well-being and security, which the majority of ungenerous Americans pursue without regard for others, comes at a great personal cost. The battle is won, but the war is lost. The means people use to achieve this version of happiness leads to a self-defeated end. And that frustrated end obscures the deeper, richer, more complex kinds of happiness humans want, sending them on misguided searches for more of what already does not satisfy.”

Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson in “Giving Makes Us Happy. So Why Do So Few Do It?” posted by Science of Generosity on 3 November 2014.

In biblical terms, Smith and Davidson have revealed that the ungenerous are seeking to gain the whole world, and in so doing, they are losing their souls (cf. Mark 8:36). Why are so many choosing this self-destructive path? Why do all of us at times choose the way of the ungenerous and wander on misguided searches for more of what already does not satisfy?

The answer is simple really. We believe and act on lies. In this case we believe the lies that we need to accumulate in order to attain happiness and to secure our future rather than the truth that God invites us to entrust ourselves to His care, which often flows from family members and fellow believers, and that happiness is found in those relationships and not possessions.

What it all boils down to is that we do not experience life as God intended it, because of our own unbelief. The good news for today, and in 2015 and beyond is that Jesus helps those who believe and yet wrestle with unbelief (cf. Mark 9:24). Since that includes all of us at times, let’s resolve together to believe and ask Jesus to help us with our unbelief. In so doing, we will avoid our own destruction and show people the way to life.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control… Galatians 5:22-23

“Paul’s “fruit” is singular…The Spirit creates unity characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Paul would insist that the greatest of these is love, and so all of these other fruits are love’s various facets and expressions, or what God produces in human lives and how God’s Spirit equips us to live in the world.

I love this text because it pushes spirituality out of the narrow confines of personal practices and qualities into the Spirit’s realm of community building. God gives the growth, Paul would say, and so this text also reminds us that the spiritual life is not our achievement, nor matter how perfect our practices.

Like the bread and the fruit of the vine, the fruit of the Spirit is the gift of God for the people of God. Like the bread and the fruit of the vine, the fruit of the Spirit is a sign of the real presence and power of Christ.”

Deborah A. Block, in “Table Grace” in A Spiritual Life: Perspectives from Poets, Prophets, and Preachers, edited by Allan Hugh Cole Jr. (Louisville: WJKP, 2011) 217.

Generosity is the result of God’s work in our lives. It’s a reflection of God’s love through us. If we think our lives are not characterized by generosity, rather than resolving to go do good works, we must submit to the work of the Christ of Christmas in our lives so that His love is made known through us to the world.

“Giving a good gift is much more than handing over a nice or useful object; it’s about communicating a message, a message that often can’t be put into words…The ideal gift, I always feel, should be perfect for the one who is to receive it and also reveal something of the one who gives it. In this way, giving can be an incredibly special and personal act of love…”

Christina Rees in Feast + Fast: Food for Advent and Christmas (London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 2012) 86.

We pray you have a blessed Christmas with family and friends. We are chilling together as a family in Colorado. We also hope you are able to get alone with God today to thank Him for the indescribable gift of Jesus (cf. 2 Corinthians 9:15).

God’s gift of His one and only Son is “the ideal gift” for all mankind. In that sense, the Christ of Christmas reveals the unfathomable love of the Father for the whole world (cf. John 3:16). Thank you, Father in heaven, for the gift of Jesus!

“When the Christians gathered to form a new community following the day of Pentecost, Luke tells us that “they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts” (Acts 2:46). As the need arose, they shared even their possessions with each other…

The spirit of generosity was evident first of all in their “one heart and soul.” While some did own property, they did not “claim” private ownership…The common life that they shared conditioned their right to keep what was their own while others went hungry. The spirit of generosity is a shared life…”

Ray S. Anderson in Living the Spiritually Balanced Life: Acquiring the Virtues You Admire in Others (Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2001) 65.

Why don’t Christ followers “claim” private ownership? God owns everything (cf. Psalm 24:1)! He entrusts us, as stewards, with private property, but never do we own anything. We are partakers of Christ’s life, which far exceeds the value of any other earthly possession. This truth “conditions” us. It reshapes our thinking and our living regarding people and possessions.

On the eve of the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us humble ourselves in solitude and ask the Father to “condition” our hearts to produce the fruit of generosity (cf. Galatians 5:22-23). This is not about going out and buying more presents. I am inviting you to join me in asking the Father to make us His gifts to the world.

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:6-7

“It wouldn’t be Christmas with Jesus in a neonatal intensive care unit now would it? It wouldn’t be Christmas if some anonymous inn keeper two thousand years ago hadn’t gone the extra mile and made a way when there seemed to be no way.

When you think about it, that’s exactly what God is like; always making a way when there seems to be no way; making room when there is no room. It’s the very point of Christmas isn’t it?

From this we can learn that true hospitality is not about who you have room for, but who you are willing to make room for. It’s not who you invited that tests your hospitality, but the unexpected guest…It’s the unexpected guest who proves to be the most surprising blessing.”

J.D. Walt is Chief Sower at www.seedbed.com and today’s Meditation comes from his 22 December 2014 daily text entitled “Hospitality. There’s Always More Room”. I subscribe to this daily text and commend it to you: it’s spiritually rich and free for everyone.

J.D. is also a dear friend of mine who has warmly reminded us this Christmas week that even as God made a way when there seemed to be no way, we get to make room for unexpected guests.

These unexpected guests may not be overnight travelers. They may be people in distress, friends who drop by to talk, or unexpected phone calls.

Will we deem these interruptions to our busyness or invitations to surprising blessing?

Let’s resolve together make room in our homes and hearts for the unexpected guest this week…and next week…and the week after that…

“The generous man is always blithe in spirit and untroubled in heart, and he flows forth with desire in his works of virtue to all men in common. Whosoever is generous, and loves not earthly goods how poor soever he be, he is like God: for all that he has in himself, and all that he feels, flow forth and are given away.”

John Ruusbroec (1293-1381) in The Adornment of the Spiritual Marriage (CCEL) excerpt from Chapter XIX – Of Generosity.

How blessed we are than we get to enjoy God’s good gifts and joyfully share them with others (that’s what it means to be blithe in spirit and untroubled in heart)! When we live this way, our generosity is like God.

What hinders such generosity? Avarice, that is, loving things. So in this season of giving, let us be watchful that we don’t fall into the trap of loving earthly goods (cf. 1 John 2:15-17). Instead, let us resolve to love God and others generously.

“He who gives what he would as readily throw away, gives without generosity; the essence of generosity is in self-sacrifice.”

Sir Henry Taylor (1800-1886) in Day’s Collacon compiled and arranged by Edward Parsons Day (New York: IPPO, 1884) 316.

Cleaning out our closets and giving what we “would readily throw away” must not be confused for generosity. Such sharing is imperative (cf. Luke 3:11) but only a starting point for living generously.

Following the example of Jesus, who set aside the glories of heaven to come to earth, let us consider prayerfully what self-sacrifice looks like for each of us and follow our Lord’s leading in emptying ourselves as He did (cf. Philippians 2:1-11).

Question to Ron Blue: What are your personal plans for retirement?
Answer: I prefer to call it “rehirement” rather than retirement. I have no plans to retire. Vocationally, I may do different things and try different options, but I do not see myself retiring from my purpose in life. My purpose is to help fulfill the Great Commission. I don’t retire from that. I just may help fulfill it in different ways.

Question to Larry Burkett: What are your personal plans for retirement?
Answer: I don’t plan to retire. I want to write or teach or speak for as long as I can. We all have relatively short time on this earth and a long time in eternity. My retirement will come in eternity; I trust yours will too. Foremost in your retirement planning, then, should be the prospect of standing before the Lord and giving an account for the way you have handled your life and your money.

Larry Burkett and Ron Blue with Jeremy White in Your Money After the Big 5-0 (Nashville: B & H Publishing, 2007) 83.

What are your personal plans for retirement? Here’s some great counsel from two advisors. Choose rehirement instead, invest every day of this short life for God’s Kingdom, and prepare to give an account for your stewardship.

Recently, I received a letter from the president of Asbury Theological Seminary, which contained this excerpt:

“Do you remember that classic scene where George and Mary are departing for their honeymoon and they witness a run on the bank? George rushes into the Bailey Building and Loan to calm the panic-stricken customers. When one unruly customer demands his money, George gives this explanation:

“You’re thinking of this place all wrong. As if I had the money back in the safe. The money is not here. Your money is in Joe’s house, right next to yours. And in the Kennedy house, and Mrs. Macklin’s house, and a hundred others…”

That is a great allegory for what it means to invest in Asbury Theological Seminary. If I could quote George Bailey, I’d like to say, “Your money is not here.” Your money is invested in Gideon, who is going to Nigeria to witness to Muslims within that country. Your money is supporting John, who is going back to Texas to plant a church that will reach the young agnostics around Houston. Your money is deposited to sustain Haley, and she is already involved in a campus ministry, reaching hundreds of students…”

George Bailey as recounted by Timothy C. Tennent, president of Asbury Theological Seminary, in a letter dated December 1, 2014.

Each year on Christmas eve my family watches George Bailey in the Christmas classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, so I could not help but share this clip from Tennent’s letter because it must shape our thinking related to Christian giving. When we give the money we possess, it is not stockpiled by ministries. It’s invested in God’s Kingdom and spread all around.