Leviticus 19:19-10
“‘When you reap the harvest of
your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the
gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or
pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the
foreigner. I am the Lord your God.'"
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
More
than once, I’ve observed a child play with more toys than he/she could
possibly use. But if you asked him/her, “Are you using that?” or “Are
you about done with ABC?”…the child would say, “I need ALL of this!”
When kids are little, we try to teach them not to “hog” all of the
toys…to leave something for their siblings, friends, or classmates. But
somehow, as we grow up, this concept often flies right out the window.
We pretty much want it all – even the excess – and we’ll do just about
anything to make that happen!
We want all of our money…we don’t
want to share any with the poor or needy, and we grumble about paying
taxes and charitable giving. Woe to the person who asks us for a few
bucks to help XYZ! We pile our plates high with food and think nothing
of leaving half of it to be thrown out…but we give little or no thought
to feeding the hungry among us.
We are territorial…it is our
land…our “stuff”…our country…and we don’t want to share even a
postage-stamp-sized corner of it with anyone else! Even worse is how
greedy and selfish we are with our church. We don’t want anyone moving
in on our territory there, either…from our “positions” of
leadership and participation to our friendships with fellow members. We
greet those we know and love on Sunday mornings…and have nothing left
for a stranger or visitor.
There is a lot of “meat” in this
scripture passage from Leviticus about how we operate in greed and
selfishness…often without even thinking. Let’s take some time today to
examine our hearts and minds and see where we operate in excess. Ask
yourself where you might be stockpiling more than you need with no
consideration of the person who could really use it…everything from
tangible possessions to a friendly smile.
God has blessed us
with such abundance. There is no need to be stingy! How we treat these
gifts speaks volumes about our faith. This greatly defines our
relationship with God and demonstrates our confidence that His love is
for EVERYONE…and that He will always meet our every need.
What
are your attitudes and behaviors saying to others – and to God – about
your Christian faith? Are you ready to leave some of the “gleanings of
your harvest” for someone else? Don't you think it's time you did?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label serving God out of our abundance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label serving God out of our abundance. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for March 15, 2014
1 Timothy 6:6-9
Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.
But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
One of my former Sunday-school students posted on Facebook this morning that she and her husband are four major bills away from being totally debt-free. She just paid off another credit card balance, and all of her medical bills have been paid. This mother of 2 toddlers is using Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace University” course as her guide, but many have accomplished this successfully with other methods, as well. What makes this achievement so important is that this young couple – and others like them – are putting money in its place! They are managing money instead of money managing them!
I am only remotely familiar with Dave Ramsey’s course. I do know several people who have utilized it successfully to become totally debt-free very early in life…and I commend them for it. Countless folks suffer all kinds of stress on a daily basis because of bills and upcoming payments that loom over them. Let’s be honest, it is inevitable that such strain keeps us from giving our full focus and attention to our family, our studies or our job, and our walk with God.
This passage is about more than paying off your bills and living debt-free. The Apostle Paul is reminding us that everything we have comes from God. Our focus should not be on acquiring more “stuff”…we should be concentrating on using what we have to serve God. There are two points to consider: 1) it’s hard to stay focused on serving when we are mired in bills and debt; and 2) many of us are busy acquiring more “things”, when we cannot adequately manage what we already have.
What does all of this have to do with showing compassion for one another? Here’s the thing…knowing that we are all human – and vulnerable to the devil’s temptations – we can assume that most of us are enticed on some level by “the next new thing”. It may be the latest electronic gadget, a shiny new toy for our kids, the spring fashions now filling the store, another pair of sneakers, or a new house, car or piece of jewelry. We may desire to “keep up with the Joneses” and eat out…go to movies, concerts and sporting events…dress a certain way…participate in extra-curricular activities at school and church…and even go on mission trips with friends and fellow believers (which costs money).
As we interact with others, recognize that their inner struggles with money may be very similar to yours. Also realize that those who cannot afford to “keep up” with others may be struggling with their emotions and temptations. What can you do to “level the playing field”? How can you find ways to interact – and serve others – that are less costly in terms of actual dollars…yet effective in terms of time, energy, and sharing the love of Christ? By learning to be content with less…to live within our own means…can we actually demonstrate to others that it is truly acceptable and okay to be “wealthy” in ways other than actual money and possessions?
My challenge to you today is to get your own “house” in order. This may mean working to conquer your debts and pay your bills as quickly as possible. Or if you are “debt-free”, you may need to do a little “spring cleaning” and survey your “stuff”. Maybe you need to pare down…to “share the wealth” with those less fortunate…or to use what you have before you buy something else. Or maybe you simply need to shift your focus from “What can I acquire next” to “How can I better serve out of my blessings and abundance?”.
Spend some time in prayer and communication with God and see where He leads you. The Apostle Paul is telling us in these verses that there is great peace and satisfaction in being able to truly say, “I have everything I need”…and to live in the contentment of focusing on God instead of things. There is room for all of us to do some work in this area. Will this be the day that you get started?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.
But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
One of my former Sunday-school students posted on Facebook this morning that she and her husband are four major bills away from being totally debt-free. She just paid off another credit card balance, and all of her medical bills have been paid. This mother of 2 toddlers is using Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace University” course as her guide, but many have accomplished this successfully with other methods, as well. What makes this achievement so important is that this young couple – and others like them – are putting money in its place! They are managing money instead of money managing them!
I am only remotely familiar with Dave Ramsey’s course. I do know several people who have utilized it successfully to become totally debt-free very early in life…and I commend them for it. Countless folks suffer all kinds of stress on a daily basis because of bills and upcoming payments that loom over them. Let’s be honest, it is inevitable that such strain keeps us from giving our full focus and attention to our family, our studies or our job, and our walk with God.
This passage is about more than paying off your bills and living debt-free. The Apostle Paul is reminding us that everything we have comes from God. Our focus should not be on acquiring more “stuff”…we should be concentrating on using what we have to serve God. There are two points to consider: 1) it’s hard to stay focused on serving when we are mired in bills and debt; and 2) many of us are busy acquiring more “things”, when we cannot adequately manage what we already have.
What does all of this have to do with showing compassion for one another? Here’s the thing…knowing that we are all human – and vulnerable to the devil’s temptations – we can assume that most of us are enticed on some level by “the next new thing”. It may be the latest electronic gadget, a shiny new toy for our kids, the spring fashions now filling the store, another pair of sneakers, or a new house, car or piece of jewelry. We may desire to “keep up with the Joneses” and eat out…go to movies, concerts and sporting events…dress a certain way…participate in extra-curricular activities at school and church…and even go on mission trips with friends and fellow believers (which costs money).
As we interact with others, recognize that their inner struggles with money may be very similar to yours. Also realize that those who cannot afford to “keep up” with others may be struggling with their emotions and temptations. What can you do to “level the playing field”? How can you find ways to interact – and serve others – that are less costly in terms of actual dollars…yet effective in terms of time, energy, and sharing the love of Christ? By learning to be content with less…to live within our own means…can we actually demonstrate to others that it is truly acceptable and okay to be “wealthy” in ways other than actual money and possessions?
My challenge to you today is to get your own “house” in order. This may mean working to conquer your debts and pay your bills as quickly as possible. Or if you are “debt-free”, you may need to do a little “spring cleaning” and survey your “stuff”. Maybe you need to pare down…to “share the wealth” with those less fortunate…or to use what you have before you buy something else. Or maybe you simply need to shift your focus from “What can I acquire next” to “How can I better serve out of my blessings and abundance?”.
Spend some time in prayer and communication with God and see where He leads you. The Apostle Paul is telling us in these verses that there is great peace and satisfaction in being able to truly say, “I have everything I need”…and to live in the contentment of focusing on God instead of things. There is room for all of us to do some work in this area. Will this be the day that you get started?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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