MY FAVORITE THINGS
Day 11 - Give more than you can afford to give.
If you are judging by the health of your checkbook whether or not you can afford to give, you will never give the amount that Jesus requires. Sincere believers never determine their ability to give by their income, their savings account, their retirement funds or by the state of the national economy. Sincere believers determine their ability to give by the size of the God that they serve.
“And He sat down opposite the treasury and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums.
A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.
Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury;
For they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.” -
Mark 12:41-44.
How much have you given to the Kingdom of God this year? What you could afford to give? Have you given merely out of your surplus?
I believe that tithing to the local church is only where it begins in our commitment to giving. Everything that I have and own is His! It is my delight to give my time ... my finances ... my home ... my talents and gifts ... in service to His Kingdom.
If you gave 10% last year - then in 2013 make it your goal to give 11%. Then in 2014 - give 12%
Or perhaps take a bolder, more audacious, approach to giving: if you gave 10% in 2012, then give 15% in 2013 and give 20% in 2014!
This is what I know ... you can never out-give the Lord! God always takes care of givers so give away! Be a lavish and extravagant giver to the Kingdom of God! Sing and laugh while you give to His work at this time in history! I don’t think that it is possible to give until it hurts ... because whenever I give to Him ... He gives more abundantly back to me! There is nothing painful about that relationship at all!
So ... in 2013 ... resolve to give more than you can afford to give! After all, you can’t afford not to give!