Matthew 6:25-27 (New International Version)
Do Not Worry
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life"?Mark 12:41-44 (New International Version)
The Widow's Offering
41Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins,"worth only a fraction of a penny."43Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."
Are we giving everything to God? What does this actually look like? Should we give all of our money/income to our church and expect God to provide, or simply be prepared for God to have it go elsewhere? My current view is sort of a mixture of the two. I think it is good to support our church and what God will do through it. I also think that KNOWING that God will likely ask for some of our income, or rather His income, to go to other places is important. It is a crutch if we expect God to only work through a group of believers that meets at a building...
Challenge update: I failed my own challenge from the last post. :(
I make the same challenge this next week. :)
Yeah, I know that for me trusting God in the realms of money gets difficult sometimes. I've found that the best way for me to try and combat those feelings is write down my worry in a prayer request then watch how God works. In the past I've seen some interesting things happen, indications that He knows my worries but says "I've got it, man! Just have faith."
ReplyDeleteThen when I'm facing hard times I can read how God provided me in the past and know that He'll provide again.
i've had a very similar situation this semester. every time rent was due or i needed gas or groceries the money was there. i still don't have a job but God still finds ways for me to pay for all of my needs. one thing that helped was me being a good steward of my money when i had it. we need to keep God in mind when we decide to make purchases in the cathedrals of capitalism. what does God have planned for our money?
ReplyDeleteheh...I think money is a constant source of anxiety for a lot of people, myself included. It's funnny though, God definitely does provide...wondering how I would pay for SICM, my godmother, when she heard about it, just decided to write me a check for 100 bucks on the spot, and if that wasn't a Godsend, i don't know what is.
ReplyDeleteOften we tell ourselves that once we make enough money, then we won't have to worry about it anymore, then we can focus on God. Instead of putting God first now. How much is "enough"?
ReplyDeleteRent: $330
Food: $500 (Groceries and Eating out)
Utilities: $100 (Cable and Internet)
Those are some of my average monthly expenses. That already has me spending more in a year than 90% of the rest of the world. Of course the cost of living here is higher. But I didn't include entertainment, gas, clothes, etc. How do I weigh what I should spend for God versus myself or others?
We are the rich of the world. What do we do about it?
I also wonder what it would look like for us to give everything to God. The widow gave up everything she had to live on, something that you can really only do with a lot of faith. I think something that keeps me from giving everything to God is a general lack of faith, seeking assurance that security for successive days is secured. I have a tendency to want to rely on myself rather than on God, and it's not possible to give everything I have to God and continue to rely on myself.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your challenge!
It's definitely not about the money or whatever. It's the attitude and perspective people have about it. I know that many times I'll think very linearly and think that what I have is due to my own workings. I suppose that when I'm not willing to give or such, that I should view that as a red flag and start rethinking where what I have actually comes from.
ReplyDelete