Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – March 9, 2017
By Tripp Prince
As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on. Luke 21:1-4
Throughout the Bible, we find the Lord Jesus consistently saying a similar thing: he is far more concerned with the motive with which you do something than he is with the act in and of itself.
Is a gift of time or money to the work of the gospel a good thing? Of course. And yet, as we see in Luke 21, a gift given from a place of dependence and trust, even if it has little to no impact on a budget or financial spreadsheet, is to be desired more than millions of dollars given without any thought or devotion.
As you read this today, you might be facing very real financial challenges. You may wonder how you could possibly foster a lifestyle of generosity when you’re unsure of where your next meal will come from or how you will pay bills at the end of the month. And yet, as real as those concerns may be, none of us, whether we are rich or poor, are exempt from a lifestyle of generosity.
Generosity is the currency of God’s kingdom. In a world where we often seek to gain all that we can for our own self-protection and self-preservation, God invites us, regardless of our economic means, to live a life that is fundamentally oriented to the needs of the other! This is the very heart of God’s rescue mission in Jesus- he loved the world so much that he gave in the most costly way (John 3:16). And if we are to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus, we must likewise learn what it means to embrace these Kingdom economics of giving.
True Kingdom generosity is only possible when we realize our safety, security, and source of hope is found in the Lord’s care for us, not in our own abundance or in our lack of means. When we give out of our abundance without a true heart for God’s kingdom, we show that our ultimate trust is in our wealth and resources, not in the loving goodness of God. Likewise, when we cling to our limited funds in our poverty, we show that we have not fully accepted the Lord’s promise to us and are instead still slaves to fear.
God’s Kingdom is a kingdom built upon a foundation of radical generosity, and the Lord is inviting you today, whatever your means may be, to join him in this life of self-giving love!
Prayer
Father, just as you loved us and freely gave the gift of your son, may we respond by faithfully stewarding the resources you have given to us, offering all that we have, great or small, as a gift of thanksgiving and praise to you. Amen.Application
Do you give from your abundance without much thought or care given to the state of your heart before the Lord? In a similar way, have you yet to encounter the joy of giving due to the fear that there won’t be enough left for you? Take a “giving audit” this week and discern afresh what it means for you to embrace Kingdom economics in your life today!Related Reading
Proverbs 14:21; Matthew 6:26-34; 2 Corinthians 8:1-5; 1 Timothy 6:18Post/Tweet today
Generosity is the currency of God’s kingdom. #WisdomHunters #kingdomeconomicsWorship Resource
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