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Posted At: 11:06pm by Kellee
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The first gifts that we read about in Scripture are the offerings made by Cain and Abel who were the sons of Adam and Eve. In Genesis 4:2-4 we read, "...Now Abel kept flocks and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of the flock." Cain and Abel, having been instructed by Adam in the knowledge of the Lord, brought offerings or gifts for the Lord. Because one worked the land and the other raised animals, their gifts were different. We read that Cain "brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering," whereas Abel "brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock."
Between the two brothers there is also an indication of difference in the attitudes of their hearts. While Cain wasn't concerned about giving the first or best of his crop, Abel brought in his best. God looked with favor upon Abel's offering. God looked into the hearts of both Cain and Abel as He looks into our hearts. He saw Abel's humble faith. In his gift, Abel showed his sincere gratitude for all that God had done for Him.
We need to understand that it's not the size of our gifts and offerings which makes them acceptable to the Lord, but rather it is the attitude of our hearts and minds toward God. God wants our gifts to be an expression of our love for Him. He wants us to give cheerfully rather than grudgingly. He wants us to give out of love through faith in Christ. We are told by the writer in Hebrews that without faith in Jesus, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). This is how the Lord has given to us, giving us His only-begotten Son. He has withheld nothing from us, and showed His love by sacrificing Jesus for us. In Christ, we are freed to give as we have been given-to.
May this story of giving by Cain and Abel help us to examine our attitude toward giving. If we are not giving our first and best out of faith and love to the Lord, God does not look with favor upon our giving. May God grant us all faithful, loving, and giving hearts.
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Posted At: 3:35am by Kellee
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As stewards, we are the recipients and caretakers of God's goodness, love, mercy, and we are to act not as owners but as managers because our lives and resources are simply on loan from Him.
The book of Daniel gives an account of a man who failed to recognize God as Creator and Provider and exalted himself instead. King Nebuchadnezzar, walking on the roof of "his" royal palace, surveying "his" kingdom, was overcome by pride and exclaimed, "Is this not the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty." (Daniel 4:30)? He thought he was asking a rhetorical question, but God condemned him to live like an animal as a consequence of his pride.
Pride is destructive. It destroys gratitude to God for all His kindness to us. It destroys our desire and ability to serve others. It destroys contentment for it feeds our competitive nature so that we are not satisfied with just being wealthy or intelligent, but we want to be wealthier and more intelligent than anyone else!
Pride has no place in the life of a servant. First Peter 5:6 reads, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand that He may lift you up in due time." it is God alone Who can exalt us (Psalm 75:7). If Christ Himself, God's only-begotten Son, humbled Himself, God exalted Him (Philippians 2:9).
David, the shepherd-king, put our situation in the proper perspective: "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him the son of man that You care for him?" (Psalm 8:3-4) The inference is that we are insignificant, yet David goes on to remind us of what we can be proud: "You made us ruler over the works of Your hands; You put everything under our feet."
Humility allows us to accept our smallness and God's goodness. In the words of Martin Luther, humility is the decision to "let God be God." We are stewards through humility. We are to honor Him with what we have, what we are, and what He will make of us.
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Posted At: 5:53am by Kellee
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Through the working of the Holy Spirit, Christians understand that riches do not consist of money. In fact, riches have nothing to do with money. We can have very little money and be very rich or be very wealthy and be impoverished. True riches have to do with a right relationship with Jesus, Who brings us happiness, satisfaction, joy, love, and peace. Material possessions do not constitute real riches.
Material things are transitory. What we possess materially is subject to loss in a variety of ways. Our wealth can be lost in the stock market, or through rust, obsolescence and thievery. No matter how much money we may have, we have no way of guaranteeing that it can be kept safe and secure. Money can be lost, stolen, or its purchasing power lost through inflation. Investments can decline in value and businesses can fail. Our property can be burned or robbed. All material things can be gone quickly. Even if our material things stay with us, we will eventually leave them, because at the end we can’t take them with us!
So if we want to be rich, it cannot be on the basis of material things. Things of this world are much too precarious a foundation on which to build a life. If we are to be rich, we have to turn away from material things and turn toward Christ. In our Scripture reading, Jesus tells us to, “...store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” If we want to get really rich, we have to start storing up riches in heaven.
In order for us to store up treasures in heaven, we first need to love God with all of our heart, soul, and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves. To store up treasures in heaven, we need to loosen our grip on things of this world. We need to learn to be content with what we have rather than always wanting more worldly things.
Through faith, we are rich. As Christians, we have been given the riches of eternal life with and made heirs by baptism of God’s heavenly kingdom through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
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Posted At: 3:29am by Kellee
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"For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will."
(2 Corinthians 8:3-5)
Don't we often ask: "How much should I give?" Unfortunately, from our selfish perspective, we may really be asking: "How little can I give and still call it a gift?" Giving is not something that comes naturally to most of us. By nature, we are selfish people who are only interested in our own best interests, which is usually the accumulation of more and more comfortable and enjoyable things. Without a relationship with Jesus, our giving is nominal at best.
In contrast, the generous giving of God's faithful people is clearly written about in Scripture and is also very evident in the many faithful givers in our church. The difference between Christians and non-Christians is that, in Christ, Christians have become new creations. Our old Adam, with his selfish and self-centered attitude, has been replaced by a new you who is united with Christ through Baptism. We are not perfect on our own, but God has changed us. And out of our new love for Jesus, we are compelled to give generously to our church and to those in need. As Christians, we see our time, talents, and treasures as tools that can be used to extend God's kingdom. When we faithfully use our lives and blessings in His service, He is honored and worshipped.
In the Scripture reading above, Paul used the giving of the Macedonian Christians as a model for the church in Corinth to see as the Corinthians considered what to give to the distressed Christians in Jerusalem. The Macedonians pleaded for the privilege of giving. They did not know the people in Jerusalem personally, but wanted to help fellow believers. The Macedonians didn't give their leftovers or what they calculated they could afford. They gave to the extent that it changed their lifestyles.
The Macedonians gave so eagerly because they were new creations in Christ. Paul wrote, "They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will," (v. 5). Giving came naturally after God had control of their hearts. As we spend time hearing God's Word and receiving the Sacraments frequently and regularly, God will grant us hearts that will plead for the opportunity to give.
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