Amanda Wicker: Repentant and obedient hearts

“The multitude of your sacrifices — what are they to me?” says the Lord. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.” Isaiah 1:11

“When people give gifts, it is not the gift alone that is meaningful; the gift signifies the love and the thought behind it. A gift is one way to express love and gratitude for another in thoughtful, tangible ways. But what happens when a gift is given out of an obligation instead of from the heart?

In Isaiah 1, God is addressing an issue he has with offerings or gifts that are made in vain…The people of Judah were thorough in performing sacrifices and ceremonies, but they were not repenting of their sin…It might be easy to dismiss this passage as only a critique of Jewish practices, saying that it does not pertain to us as the Church today.

However, there are practices we regularly offer as gifts to God such as worshipping with fellow believers in church, participating in Bible studies, and quietly meditating on God’s Word. These practices are vital to our spiritual lives and communities, but without love for the things that God loves and for our fellow man, they fall short.

As I reflect on this passage in Isaiah, I am examining areas of my life where I am giving my time and energy to God and the Church, but not seeking to love the things that God loves. Even though recognizing those shortcomings is difficult, I am encouraged by the words of verse 18: “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”

None of our gifts begins to compare with the gift of Jesus’ life and loving sacrifice. When we receive this gift and repent, we are free to give to one another and offer our lives to God from the place of transformed hearts.”

Amanda Wicker, videographer, Trinity School for Ministry, Ambridge, PA in 2016 Advent Devotional Day 2. If you have not picked an advent devotional this year, you may want to try this one.

Wicker closes her advent devotional with this humble prayer. Let’s join her today.

Lord, sometimes our efforts to please you outweigh our desire to repent and to love the things you love. I pray that you would cultivate in us repentant and obedient hearts. May our lives be gifts of praise and gratefulness for what you have done for us. Amen.”

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

“We don’t give gifts because we want to earn something in return. We give without the expectation of return. We give, because we can’t help but feel so overjoyed with the good news of a God who comes near, becomes incarnate, walks with us, is given for us, and loves us. In our joy, we can’t help but want to share our joy through the sharing of our stories, time, the giving of gifts, living fully in God’s abundance and love.”

Timothy Siburg in Compass: Navigating Faith & Finances blog post dated 28 November 2016 entitled Returning to “Why,” in Hopes of Getting Off the Consumer Escalator.

Siburg rightly directs our focus to the “Why” related to giving: the good news. We give because God loved the world so much that He gave.

Often, in reality, outside forces motivate us to give out of obligation or guilt. When we respond accordingly, we experience little joy.

This advent season, let’s choose to focus on the the good news and let our joy-filled generosity flow from there.

If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. Psalm 50:12

“This may hurt some of you but I am obliged to tell you that God does not need anything you have. He does not need a dime of your money. It’s your own spiritual welfare at stake in such matters as these. There is a beautiful and enriching principle involved in our offering to God what we are and what we have, but none of us are giving because there is a depression in heaven. The Bible teaching is plain: you have right to keep what you have all to yourself – but it will rust and decay, and ultimately ruin you.”

A.W. Tozer (1897-1963) in Christ, The Eternal Son (Camp Hill, PA: Wing Spread, 1992) excerpt from chapter 3.

Tozer gets our attention with today’s post. It’s fitting for Giving Tuesday. If people you know at ministries tell you that God needs our money, please graciously set them straight. God does not need our money. We need to give it. Jesus used similarly shocking language in telling the disciples what would happen with treasures stored on earth.

So what will you do today? I pray you give generously to a host of ministries that engage with the work God cares about: such as evangelism, discipleship, and mercy. That’s our plan. And if you’d like a tool I developed a decade ago to help you offer to God all that you are and all that you have, click here to download: Spiritual Formation and Stewardship.

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

“When we let go of money we are letting go of part of ourselves and part of our security. But this is precisely why it is important to do it. It is one way to obey Jesus’ command to deny ourselves…

When we give money we are releasing a little more of our egocentric selves and a little more of our false security…Giving frees us from the tyranny of money. But we don’t just give money; we give the things money has purchased…Have you ever considered selling a car or a stamp collection to help finance someone’s education? Money has also given us time and leisure to acquire skills. What about giving those skills away? Doctors, dentists, lawyers, computer experts, and many others can give their skills for the good of the community.

Giving frees us to care. It produces an air of expectancy as we anticipate what God will lead us to give. It makes life with God an adventure of discovery. We are being used to help make a difference in the world…”

Richard Foster in The Challenge of the Disciplined Life: Christian Reflections on Money, Sex, and Power (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1985 ) 43-44.

Since tomorrow is Giving Tuesday, try this today. Take inventory of what you have: money, assets, skills, and other things. These are the abundant resources in your stewardship. Ask God how He wants you to use them to make a difference in the world.

If you want a suggestion, consider joining us in helping finance the education of a young man training to be a pastor despite limited financial resources. Click here to support Peter Gomez. Before you give to this opportunity, or anything else, start with a prayer.

Father in Heaven, thanks for resourcing me with bandwidth and bounty to bless others. Guide me by your Holy Spirit in how I should put to work what You have entrusted to me as a faithful steward on an adventure of discovery. In your mercy, hear my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.

In [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. Ephesians 1:7

“If you want to feel rich, just count up all the things you have that money cannot buy.”

Daniel Webster (1782-1852) in The Speaker’s Quote Book: Over 5,000 Illustrations and Quotations for All Occasions, ed. Roy B. Zuck (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2009) 535.

As we move from a season of Thanksgiving to focus on the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, join me in celebrating the riches of God’s grace toward us: the greatest act of generosity and a priceless gift money cannot buy.

Also take five minutes to give thanks for the gift of love shared with family and friends, neighbors and co-workers, and brothers and sisters at church and in small groups. Money cannot buy the richness they bring to our lives.

Greed causes fighting; trusting the LORD leads to prosperity. Proverbs 28:25

“One of the weaknesses of our age is our apparent inability to distinguish our needs from our greeds.”

Don Robinson in The Speaker’s Quote Book: Over 5,000 Illustrations and Quotations for All Occasions, ed. Roy B. Zuck (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2009) 237.

The desire for things that can’t save us, satisfy us, or give us security can destroy us. Instead, trusting in God leads to peace and prosperity (don’t think “prosperity gospel” but think of this as grasping life as God designed for us).

When we shift from greeds to contentment with basic needs, it positions us not only for prosperity, but also for generosity. I am preaching tomorrow on generosity at Redeemer Christian Church in Denver. I’d appreciate your prayers.

One is as it were rich, when he hath nothing: and another is as it were poor, when he hath great riches. Proverbs 13:7

“The poor of the world do not have the luxury of assuming that external things will offer them fulfillment. They don’t have access to them, so they have to find life at a deeper, immediate, and more simple level.”

Richard Rohr in Simplicity: The Freedom of Letting Go (New York: Crossroad, 2003) 169.

Make purchases today (of things you need), but don’t look for “life” there. People with money are more susceptible to the marketing messages that promise “life” in external things.

We are learning from Solomon (today’s Scripture verse) and from experience that giving generously and having very little money actually positions us to find life in God.

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and the one who waters will himself be watered. Proverbs 11:24-25

“Am I living generously? I’m not just talking about my finances here. It’s more a posture of my heart.

When I see a need do I generously give my time to come alongside another and meet it?

Do I generously give affirmation to those around me…not withholding it, presuming they already know?

Am I generous with a kind smile, looking people in the eye and blessing them by really seeing them?

Do I generously lavish grace on someone who offends me?

Am I generous with relationships and resources – not hoarding them for myself, but being a conduit that passes them on, so many more are blessed?

Am I generous with me? Do I readily lay myself aside to put others needs before my own? Do I share myself vulnerably and openly and refuse to hold parts of me back in self-protection?

I want to be the one who gives freely…who doesn’t withhold what I should give…who waters others.

I don’t want God’s kindness, and love, and bountiful resources to stop with me.”

Mel and Amy Ellenwood included this list of questions and statements in their 18 November 2016 Ministry Update. I am thankful it was forwarded to me by my good friend, Jot Turner, who serves at the EFCA national office.

Today’s Scripture celebrates what takes place when we practice generosity. We don’t find ourselves empty, we end up enriched. This relates to far more than financial giving. It touches all aspects of life.

These questions and statements are powerful. They really impacted me when I read them. They opened my eyes to aspects of generosity where I have room for growth. I am thankful my friend shared them with me.

I hope you are reading this list before you go spend time with family and friends today. I pray that it leads you give affirmation or lavish grace on someone. Let’s live generously in a variety of ways today (and every day)!

Happy Thanksgiving from Colorado (where we shot the header photo while cutting down our Christmas tree yesterday)!

Since many will enjoy special time with family and friends over the next few days in America celebrating Thanksgiving, the focus of today’s meditation is a list to stimulate good discussion. Through our interaction, I hope we can encourage one another to live out our faith generously, so that when we scatter, our impact multiplies.

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community. Proverbs 6:16-19

Seven Sacred Virtues to Replace the Seven Deadly Sins

1. Humility instead of pride
2. Generosity instead of covetousness
3. Restraint instead of lust
4. Kindness instead of anger
5. Moderation instead of gluttony
6. Charity instead of envy
7. Diligence instead of sloth

Marilyn vos Savant in The Speaker’s Quote Book: Over 5,000 Illustrations and Quotations for All Occasions, ed. Roy B. Zuck (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2009) 562.

Here’s an interesting set of facts. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, penned today’s passage in Proverbs containing the seven deadly sins. Marilyn vos Savant, known widely as the world’s smartest woman, added the seven complementary virtues. Seriously, she’s in the Guinness Book of World Records for posting a 228 score on an IQ test.

Perhaps over a meal with family and friends, take turns going around the table and sharing about why we must pursue these virtues and avoid these sins. Perhaps print the list, cut it into seven pieces, put them in a bowl in the middle of the table and take turns pulling one out and testifying in your own words the significance of each virtue and the dangers of each vice.

We plan to do intentional activities like this one with our loved ones. We are so excited that our daughter, Sophie, flew in last night with her boyfriend, Peter, from California. We have more relatives arriving today: my brother, David, and his wife, Joanna, are visiting from Florida, and my niece, Jamie, and her husband Ryan, are arriving from Arizona.

We have so much for which to give thanks. Most of all that exhibiting these virtues and avoiding these sins is possible because of God’s work in us through Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Then [Jesus] said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23

“The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined. How would I ever get on in the world? …

I open the New Testament and read: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell all your goods and give to the poor, and come, follow me.” Good God, if we were to actually do this, all the capitalists, the office holders, and the entrepreneurs, the whole society in fact, would be almost beggars! … I have wanted to make people aware and admit that I find the New Testament very easy to understand, but thus far I have found it tremendously difficult to act literally upon what it plainly says.”

Søren Kierkegaard in Provocations: Spiritual Writings of Kierkegaard (New York: Plough, 2014) 197-199.

Why share this provoking thought today? I want everyone to understand, through the candor of a brilliant Danish philosopher, that while the NT is easy to understand, following it is really hard. Obedience costs us everything, so rather than obey, like selfish scheming swindlers, we act like we don’t understand or as if no one is watching. Humor me. Coming out of a weekend of scholarly discourse, I feel the need to speak with prophetic candor some comments with which I believe Kierkegaard would concur.

We read the NT and often see only the pain and not the gain and so we fail to follow. We only see the pain of letting go in Matthew 19:21 (which Søren quotes above) and miss the gain that Christ promises in return “a hundred times as much” and “eternal life” in Matthew 19:29. We rationalize away through self-talk that the tough texts neither apply to us nor make any sense, so we functionally ignore them. In so doing, we miss, that Jesus is not calling us to a life of destitution but a posture of distribution.

Thanksgiving week, at least for Americans, is perhaps the greatest timeframe when we must “turn from our selfish ways.” We tend to over indulge on food. We focus on entertaining ourselves rather than serving others. We spend money we don’t have on things we don’t need. All the while, Jesus calls us to abandon that path for a different one. Let’s not ignore Him because all we see is sacrifice. His way leads to abundance and life as God designed for us to live it.

Father, we give our Thanksgiving week and our whole lives to you anew and afresh today. Give us courage to follow your teachings regardless of how difficult they seem and no matter what anyone else does. Help us, by your Holy Spirit, let go of things we cannot hold on to to gain the things we can ever lose. Bless us with priceless time with family and friends and help us not forget to care for our neighbors, especially those in need, so we reflect your love to the world. Hear our prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.