Keep Sowing Seeds

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you, according to Luke 6:38.  Clearly, God is so pleased that we choose to care about others rather than just ourselves that He abundantly responds in kind.    

The principle of God, which Galatians 6:7 introduces by reminding us that God is not mocked, is that what a man sows he will surely reap.  This same concept is declared in 1 Peter 3:9 where the Holy Spirit states that we are called to bless that we might receive the blessing.  We don't just do it for the return blessing, but as sure as God is, He does reward our smallest and biggest effort, from giving a glass of water to little one to laying our life down for others.

The obvious problem with giving is that often the people we seek to bless may take advantage of us, or worse yet, turn on us.  So, it is important to remember that we give to God by blessing others, and we do it in obedience to Him.  Then it doesn't matter whether the ones we help appreciate our work or not, God knows our heart and every detail of what we do.  Therefore, Galatians 6:9 reminds us to not be weary in well doing for in due time we shall surely reap.  The central issue is do we trust that God is faithful to His promise.   

The nature of God is love which gives.  Because God is a giver, and is so good, His life in us motivates and empowers us to give: to give thanks to Him always, to give our resources to others in need, and to be ready to bless every person that He directs.  Give and it will be given.  In all this, we simply cannot outgive God, He will surely honor those who honor Him by giving.  Keep sowing seeds and trust God to produce the harvest.  

Givers and Takers

The world is filled with givers and takers.  Sometimes it seems like there are more "takers" than givers.  Even though Jesus is quoted as saying, "It is more blessed to give than to receive," the predominate attitude of our society is entitlement, people thinking that they are entitled to receive.  All through the Word we see this division, this fork in the road, where people are called to make a wise choice.  Whosoever will.  

Unfortunately, fallen human nature is prone to choose the way of the flesh, which Romans 8 points out leads to death.  God sets before us life and death, and even tells us to choose life, but in the words of Jesus, "wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it." (Matthew 7:14)  Jesus confronted this "I will do it my way" attitude in the Pharisees saying He came to give sight to the blind, but because they claimed to see, they were really blind.  Human nature suffers from the same selfish pride that caused Satan to fall.  

One of the most repeated admonitions of Jesus in the Gospels is "Let him who has ears to hear, hear."  Isaiah points out the rebellious people will see and not see, hear and not hear.  Self-righteous people seem to always find an excuse or someone else to blame, rather than humbling themselves to admit "I was wrong."  The blood of Jesus covers all sin and removes all unrighteousness, but it does not cover excuses. 

There is a simple answer to the problem, which makes all the difference.  James points out that the Word of God is a mirror, not a window to view others, which when one looks into the mirror as the perfect law of liberty and does it, he is blessed.  Whether we build our house on the sand or on the rock is determined by our hearing the Word and doing it.  Therefore, my encouragement today is to humbly read the Word, to receive it with meekness so that God's thoughts and ways replace our own selfish choices.  In short, simply do it.  The Holy Spirit is always willing to guide and teach us if we are willing to listen and obey. 

In the world of givers and takers, remember that God loves a cheerful giver.  Whatever a man sows, he will surely reap.   

Choosing Weakness?

Power!  We live in the NFL football age when everyone gets excited about a powerful fullback who can crush through the hefty defensive line.  We admire power and speed.  Nobody wants to be the 97-pound weakling.

In almost total contrast, Jesus in the sermon on the mount lays out the foundation for the kingdom of God.  Significantly all the keys to life He gives suggest laying your life down and trusting God to supernaturally reward and empower you.  However, rather than laying down your life in death, you are called to live with a surrender style by doing such things as pray, fast, give, serve, and yes, even bless and love your enemies.

Notice that each of these practices allow you to lay down your life by giving of your time, effort, feelings, thoughts, and strong sentiments.  Each of these demand you choose the position of weakness.  In prayer, you pour out your heart and cry out to God, choosing the attitude of weakness that God has to do it, you can't.  In fasting, you deliberately let your body energy get weak and trust God to enable you through increasing your spiritual relationship and depending on His strength.  In giving, you deliberately decrease your financial resources trusting that God sees and will reward you.  In serving, you give or lose your own time and effort to help someone else, while your own desired use of the time is denied.  And finally, in loving your enemies, you have to override your thoughts and sentiments toward the one who wronged you and deliberately bless the other person in obedience to the Lord's instruction.  You make youurself weak.  God becomes your strength.

A person would be a fool to deliberately become weak and get run over by the other guy, unless God said to do it and He backed up His Word with action.

Jesus started His public ministry by laying out these simple attitudes and practices to point out that the kingdom of God is the exact opposite of fallen human nature's desires.  The weakness principle can also be summarized by Jesus' words, "he who loses his life for my sake shall find it." The question is "Do you believe that enough to actually do the very things He stated as a step of faith that you know He will do His part?"

Choosing weakness isn't weak.  It is the wisdom and power of God put into action.  Praise God forever for giving us the way to life and the power to live supernaturally on this earth!