It's About Contentment and Service

"6The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency (or all contentment) in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." - 2Corinthians 9:6-8

 "6The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully."

•  1st observation: Not just about $ 
• What do we sow? Seeds, talents, time, energy, emotions, etc....in another word, invest.

"7Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

• I think it's incredibly interesting that we're to give as we have made up our minds to give. 
• Why would God do that? Why would He trust us to make up our own minds as to how we will give?
• I like how the Message puts it, "7I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving." 

• What have I made up my mind to do? I've made a commitment to live for God's glory. How?
• The picture to the right represents some of the things that I've committed to the Lord; they're some ways that I live for His glory.
• So if I give in the way that I've made up my mind to do then it should never be a chore or a pain to give. No outside dictator is pushing me to give, it's an inward choice of my life's direction. 
• "It's not work when you love it!" We've all heard that right? So if I'm giving out of a decision that I've made shouldn't it follow that I'm giving out of a place of joy?
• I've committed those things to the Lord because I've found that they are best served when they're for Him and I'm better in that position because it gives the things I love, the things that are apart of me, and the things I enjoy purpose.
• Why, then, do these things become a chore? Why do I stress out about these things? The only answer I can see is that I must not be giving as I've made my mind up to give and am therefore giving out of obligation and compulsion. Therein lies some potent conviction; I'm not living for His glory like I've committed to and if I'm not living for His glory then I'm not really living, I'm just passing through life; and all those things that I love, all those things that are apart of me and all those things I enjoy are left without purpose. 

"...for God loves a cheerful giver."

• God desires that we give out of a deep sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. He desires that we give out of a state of functioning; functioning as sons and daughters who make choices out of who we are and how He's made us. "It's not work when you love it" and it's not out of reluctance or compulsion when we're giving out of who we are.  

 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency (or all contentment) in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."

•  He'll back you! 
• I don't think this verse is saying that all your problems will go away and that you'll have everything you ever want or need; it's not about prosperity, it's about contentment and service. 
• Are you content? If no, then look at what you've made up your mind to do. Maybe what you've made up your mind to do needs some re-adjustment. Maybe you're not giving as you've made up your mind in which case you may just need to re-focus. 
• I think so many of us aren't content because what we've made up our minds for isn't what we want to do; we made up our minds based on security, earthly wisdom, and cultural pressures not based on who we are and how we've been made.
• When we make up our minds in that manner, we're not really including Him in the process. 
• It's no wonder that we aren't abounding in good works because we've made it work! 

There are a lot of questions that have been proposed in this blog. I challenge you to ask them of yourself and answer them. I've had to refocus today and remind myself of some things. One thing I've been reminded of is that God is such a good Father. He wants us to operate out of place that brings us the most joy; to function in the way that's best suited for us and He includes us in this process. How deep the Father's love for us!

"Maranatha" μαρὰν ἀθά

     I was reading in 1Corinthians 16 and I came across the word "Maranatha" so I decided to do a little word study. It's an Aramaic phrase usually partnered with "Aranatha Maranatha" and means "Our Lord Come" or "Our Lord has come" Some say it was a Christian greeting in the early church and others say it was a phrase for church discipline; calling on the Lord's return and judgement.

I found this picture when I googled "Second Coming"
and I think it's a rather humorous yet piercing representation
of how we've made the Lord's return all about us. I don't
know about you but as much as I look forward to, wait for
and pray for His return; I doubt I'll look like this
when He does.

     I can't help but think back to Patong where it seemed the only phrase I could ever articulate, amidst the overwhelming blackness, was , "Jesus please come back." In those moments I wasn't calling on the hope of the Lord's joyous return or the judgement of His sword but on both; they can't be nor should they be separated. Our hope is not just that He comes and "we get to go to heaven" but our hope is that He's going to make everything right when He does come.
     How could I have been so selfish all those years and only have occasionally remembered my "wish" for Jesus to come back only to relieve my own pain and suffering? I'll never forget the powerful thud I felt when I heard a Thai believer whisper, "Jesus please come back." And knowing that she understood it far better than I had.
     I don't think we don't understand Aranatha Maranatha and I don't think we understand the Second Coming; but as Easter approaches I pray that we all come to have a permanent longing for it as we are reminded.