Giving

Theme- I love getting themes! Within this last week, this one certain topic has come up multiple times.... I love it ;)
1 Timothy 6:17-19, "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

How many times do we think, "Oh, I am generous.  I help those who need help.  I give them ____ and expect nothing in return."  How often do we think this of ourselves?  If we look at the situation do we see the truth?  Do we really give without expecting anything in return?

Jason and I have very nice things.  We drive nice cars, have nice furniture, have big nice TVs, we live in a very comfortable  home.  Lets just say, we are well taken care of.  We are very grateful to God for all of our "comforts", but we have not always been so grateful to Him.  There was a time when we felt we had earned it.  Jason worked and made money.  It seemed to come easy... not easy in that he did not work hard, but easy in the fact that if we needed it, there it was... easy.  We had big plans. We had our dream house all in the makings.  We had a very nice lot, right on the Gunnison River.  The blueprints were designed and ready for the building of our very nice 4000 sq-ft home.  I was a stay at home mom, planning to home-school my boys and raise White German Shepherds.   We were living the dream... Come to find out, a dream was all we had.  We went to the bank to finalize the deal and start the building of our well built life.  Something happened!  The bank stopped everything.  No rime or reason, just everything was stopped.  Its a very good thing everything was stopped.  The market crashed and our way of living was drastically changed.  We lost our lot.  The blue prints to the house were put somewhere, I haven't even see them sense.  Jason worked harder than ever, making next to nothing. I went to work.  Everything changed!

We had to realize something.  We had to realize that the illusion of success  is only an illusion.  We needed to see that this life is not about what "I" have, but what He provides for me.  But as always, we applied what we had learned to the raising of our boys.  It goes like this: When my oldest son would come to me throwing a fit about his little brother bothering his toys, I would tell him, "Your toys?  Did you buy them?  
He would look at me with a sense of distrust and say, "No".
"Who bought them?" I would ask.
"You."
"That's right, so really they are my toys and I am letting you borrow them to play with.  Now, I want you to share with your brother the things that I am letting you play with."
As this interaction would take place his face would soften and he would end up sharing.  Now I am not saying it has always been an easy ride getting my boys to share, but I want them to realize who provides for them.  I want them to understand that they are not "entitled" to anything.   They currently live in my house.  They reside in a room I have set aside for them, but they know it really is not their room, but mine and Jason's.  We allow them to have some part in ownership, but they are very well aware that we have the authority to take back what we have given them at any moment.


This is the lesson God has taught Jason and I over the past few years.  Everything we have is really God's.  Are we being selfish and thinking that the luxuries we have are for our enjoyment only?  Do we share, knowing that something may happen to "our" things?  Do we share with the expectation of some kind of expected preferred result from the borrower?  Or do we share knowing that our things are really His to begin with and we are to bless others the same as we have been blessed by Him? 


We have nice cars.  They have come back to us with dings in the doors.  Yes, this bothers us, but it does not stop us.  God has not called anyone to give out of abundance.  We shouldn't buy a used old beater to loan out to others, (not that this has never been a thought ;), but, He calls us to bless them the same He has blessed us.  


Luke 21:1-4, "As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.   He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.  'Truly I tell you,' He said, 'this poor widow has put in more than all the others.  All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.'”  


We still do not have it all right in the loaning and giving of our things, but we are trying our best.  In looking at how I treat others with my stuff, tells me everything I need to know about how I look at God.  Do I really believe that He is the true Provider?  Do I really believe that my things are His?  What are my intentions when I do give?  Do I loan things out expecting to see some kind of result from them?  Or am I giving from a grateful heart toward Him.   No matter what that person's response is... What is mine?

 Oswald Chambers, His Nature And Our Motives