Generous Giving

Since Wesley's birth, God has opened our eyes to the plight of orphans with disabilities around the world.  The suffering and rejection they experience because of their disabilities should not only break the hearts of all Christians, but should stir in our hearts a call to action.  These children truly are the least of these.  

Over the course of the past six months, God has been slowly chipping away at our hearts, showing us that now that He has opened our eyes to these children and their dire plight, it is not OK for us to sit silently and watch as they live out their life sentence.

Mike and I are praying that the Lord would clearly guide us as to whether He will lead us to one day adopt a child with special needs.  But as we wait and prepare to follow his leading, whatever that may be, we also want to follow God's call on our lives by using our money for His purposes.

Our church has been going through a series on generous living, and a few weeks ago our pastor preached from Luke 12:13-21, which is the parable of the rich fool.  The last verse in this passage struck my heart to the core:  "So is the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."

Only a fool believes that his possessions and money are all owned exclusively by him to be enjoyed exclusively by him.  Instead of just being concerned with our own enjoyment of our possessions, Mike and I want to be concerned with wisely using the money God has given us to glorify God and to help others.  Since we have trusted in Jesus as our Savior, He has purchased us by His blood.  Therefore we are His, and all that we own is His as well.  God owns us and all of our stuff.  And God's purposes for our money and possessions include being rich toward God by using our money for His purposes.  This includes not only giving to our local church, but also helping the needy.

Only a fool believes that his stuff will keep him secure.  In order to be rich toward God, we must trust in God to provide for all that we need rather than trusting in our possessions.  We must believe that God will be faithful to our family in order to be able to give generously and sacrificially.

Only a fool believes that earthly treasure is all that matters.  If our focus is on storing up earthly treasure, our hearts will be chained to this world.  Then we will tragically miss out on the unique opportunity of storing up treasure that will never fail for all eternity.

Mike and I left this message praying that God will give us wisdom as we seek to take hold of the unique opportunity of storing up treasure for all eternity.  For, just as the trials that we are walking through are only light and momentary afflictions in light of all eternity, so also any treasure that we store up here on earth is only momentary.  We would much rather be rich toward God.

We covet your prayers as we ask the Lord how we can best give to these orphans in a way that will proclaim the gospel and bring much glory to God.