"...those who are in the kingdom can be generous to those around them because God will take care of all their needs. Kingdom-focused living frees you from anxiety about temporal things so you can express the kingdom into the circumstances of earth.... Having no fear of lack, you can let go of material possessions and be wildly and exravagantly generous." Secrets Jesus Shared by Jennifer Kennedy Dean pg 65I had a job plop into my lap very unexpectedly two weeks ago. I was at the school (where I work as a lunch monitor and my kids attend). And the principal approached me and offered me a job working with the kindergarten and grade 1 students two days a week. I was in such shock and was absolutely ecstatic! What a privilege and honor and compliment it was. Granted the job pays just a little more than minimum wage, but it is a less stressful job than the lunch job and it is also a way to get my foot in the door for other jobs of this kind in the school division.
I feel that God GAVE me this job. What a blessing!
One of my first thoughts was, "Now we have some extra money to give away!" Seriously, that was my initial thought. And then before you knew it, the wheels starting turning in my head and my husband's and we began to "spend" that extra at least in our heads....
Here's a video shown last Sunday at church.
And here is a link that was in the headline news today: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8306556.stm
Just a few days prior I had been reading an article in Christianity Today magazine featuring Francis Chan. Here is another article, though not the exact one that I read.... http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/peopleoffaith/profiles/francischanscrazlyove.html In the original article I read that he actually gives away 90% of his income!
Striking. Disturbing. Moving. Shocking. Isn't it?
I feel moved to action.
Going a step further with this "wildly and extravagantly generous" approach that Jesus was recommending in Matthew 6:19-34, I realize that there are so many ways we can display this kind of generousity - not just monetary. My time is expendable and valuable...perhaps more than my money. And I am left wondering HOW God wants me to generous. Does He want me to be stretched with the three jobs I'm working right now, leaving me with little time to visit the Pakistani muslim families I mentioned in my previous post? Does He want me to earn some extra $$'s so we have even more to give financially to those in need? Or does He want me to quit one of my jobs (the lunch job is the one I feel most drawn to cut) so that I can spend my time visiting those in need?
Needless to say, it's a tough decision to ponder. Whatever the case, my heart is chewing on Jesus' words and I'm in prayer on this.
I want to be wildly and extravagantly generous with my life. I want to spend my life on what matters in the light of eternity.
Father, please be a light to my path and a lamp to my feet. I am Yours. Use me.
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