Merely Stewards

"To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it." Deuteronomy 10:14

Since God owns everything, we are merely stewards of his possessions. When we are asked to give 10% of our income to build the kingdom, we should be honoring God in how we manage the remaining 90%(Proverbs 3:9-10). If we view our material things as blessings and gifts from our Heavenly Father, our perspective should change. Selfishness with our possessions should be replaced with grace and a giving heart. So guard your heart against the "me, myself, and I mentality". Everything you own is His. Happy Tuesday! :) 

"One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want." Proverbs 11:24

For musical inspiration listen to Withholding nothing by William McDowell.

A Giving Heart

"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." Hebrews 13:16 

How willing are you to share what you have been blessed with? When you see a need are you quick to meet that need or do you count on someone else to do it? The material things of this earth are only temporary, yet we still get attached to our stuff, money and time. God recognizes and appreciates a giving heart. 

"Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed." Proverbs 19:17

Selfless

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." Philippians 2:3-4

It's so easy to be giving and selfless when we're in the mood or mentally prepared for it. (For example: volunteer work, missions, church functions.) In our daily lives, are we genuinely happy to let the car cut in front of us at the last minute? Are we offering to do things for people because it's "the right thing to do" or because we want to have the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5)? 

 Honestly, sometimes I feel as though the works should revolve around me and everyone should look out for my best interest. Unfortunately, I've been gut checked by the Holy Spirit many times in that area. :) Now, I'm constantly renewing my mind in that area and genuinely looking for ways to serve others. We're called to submit to Christ and we need all the practice we can get! Are you selflessly submitting to Christ or simply selfishly serving your flesh? Happy Friday! 

2 Corinthians 9:9

"And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:9 

Don't you just love this verse? Christians latch on to verses about prosperity and blessings, but take a look at what's before that. Verses 6-8 say that if you sow sparingly, you'll reap sparingly. It seems as if you have a part to play. Yes, God will bless you but it's contingent on blessings others. If you're selfish with your finances and gifts, why should you get more? On the flip side, lack of funds does not mean that you're not blessed (that's another topic for another day lol). God looks at your heart. Are you a cheerful giver of time, talent, and treasure? Happy Friday! :)

2 Corinthians 8

2 Corinthians 8 starts off talking about how the Macedonian church remained generous while encountering hard times. Because of their generous hearts, the Word says that God was gracious towards them. If we are faithful with little, we will be faithful with much (Luke 16:10). Where is your heart considering generosity? Do you place a dollar in the tithe basket simply out of routine or is that really your first and best fruit? If has God lead you to sow into a cause, have you done so with a pure heart? How can you become more generous?

"Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be" Luke 12:34

Happy Thursday! 

Proverbs 19

"People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD." Proverbs 19:3

Yes, God allows us to go through trials and tribulations (see Job). Other times, our pain and strife is self inflicted. Since God gives us free will to choose Him or choose the world, we can find ourselves in tough situations. For example: did you score low on your test because God wasn't faithful or because you didn't study? Did you ignore all those red flags and your unsettled spirit about a person only to be heartbroken in the end? Instead of asking God "Why me?!" Repent, learn from mistakes, and give it to God. He can turn ANY situation around for His glory! 

Here's a Christmas bonus:

"Lots of people flock around a generous person; everyone's friend is the philanthropist" Proverbs 19:6

Consider what you can do/give this season, other than presents, and do it! Happy Thursday! 

Proverbs 13- Vanity & Discontentment

"A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is full of life" Proverbs 13:7

Media surrounds us with images of new, shiny, expensive things. They market the myth that we can't be happy without a particular item. They market the myth that this new and improved thing will change people's perceptions of us. In reality, they are fueling the discontentment that we feel when we compare ourselves to others. No, there's nothing wrong with buying new things but there should always be a balance and a heart check.  We don't need everything that we can afford. Let's make sure that our heart and motives are pure this holiday season and we're not buying things to avoid/ cover up the root issue. Let's be content with our portion that God has blessed us with. (Psalm 73:26; Psalm 16:5, Lamentations 3:24)

"Easy come, easy go, but steady diligence pays off" Proverbs 13:11

(Original post: December 13)

Proverbs 11- Generosity

"The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. The one who blessed others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped" Proverbs 11:24-25

Since Christmas is exactly 2 weeks away, what better topic than generosity? :) It's so easy to get consumed by material things at great prices, during the holidays. But being generous is more than giving gifts. It includes spending time, helping others, and doing selfless acts. Let's focus on how we can be a blessing to people we know as wells as strangers. The Lord looks at our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7), so of course we shouldn't give solely to get blessings, but we should give from a pure heart. Although we may not see millions of dollars fall from the sky instantly, The Lord is taking notes. He won't forget about his children.

(Original Post: December 11)

Proverbs 3- stewardship

"Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, & your vats will brim over with new wine." Proverbs 3:9-10

There are over 2000 verses in the Bible that talk about money. Whether we make $100 per week or $100K per year, the way we handle money should be the same. As long as we are making an income, it is required that we tithe at least 10%, save some, give some, and enjoy some. Since finances are a gift from God and a tool to assist His people, we are more like stewards instead of owners of money. If we cannot follow the Lord's wisdom with less money, why would he bless us with more? Let's remember to honor God in ALL aspects of our lives, even monetarily. He is our provider, not a job, a bank, or a person. 

(Original post: Decmber 3)