THANKFUL THURSDAY...Generosity 101

Have you ever dreamed of what you would do with a million dollars?

If you are like most people, this kind of money leaves us dreaming about all of the possibilities that this kind of cash would open to us. Bigger cars, nicer houses, fantastic vacations. The possibilities are endless. Most likely, giving the money away probably is not at the top of our list of possibilities though.

"Giving to God's work is not a habit that starts when we're experiencing material success. It's a habit best cultivated and nurtured in seasons of depending on God through lean times." - Joe Stowell

In the Bible, Paul very concisely points out that generosity is an attitude of the heart and not the condition of our circumstances. As clearly seen from the Macedonian church...

"Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity." 2 Corinthians 8:2

Generosity does not stem from wealth. Indeed it rises up out of our heart, no matter what our circumstances may be. Before we can give out of plenty, we must exercise having a giving heart in the difficult, trying times. If you are willing to give a bag of groceries to someone in need when you yourself are in need, giving selflessly probably will not change according to your financial standing.

Giving generously starts now. Right where you are, with whatever you have.

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am not only grateful for the times people have been generous to me, but I am also thankful for the opportunities that God has given me to be generous with what I have. May I never forget that it isn't the amount, its my attitude.


How about you ...what are you thankful for today? Please join us for THANKFUL THURSDAY by linking up your TT post below. I'm so honored to have been your host this month, next week my friend Iris will be hosting, hope to see you then!

 

STOP being a pack rat christian!

I never thought I would find myself saying this but...

 we are pack rats!

How in the world in 20 years have we accumulated what we have?

We are in the process of moving out of our home and into the parsonage house near the church we are pastoring. With every closet and every nook and cranny that I look, I uncover so much clutter. I cannot understand why we must hang onto some of this stuff.

This past weekend while clearing out my husbands office, I uncovered not one pair of reading glasses but 6! Seriously? He can only wear one pair at a time!

As I continue to plow my way thru the piles, I am finding out that there is a huge difference between clutter and treasure. Sometimes, I wonder if I recognize the difference? Not just in my physical closets, but my spiritual closet as well.

Often times, we can become "pack rat Christians", instead of focusing on the treasures of the heart, we focus on the clutter.

“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7b)

I  would dare say say that God isn't too concerned with what is in my closet, which clothes I wear and how many pairs of shoes I have that don't fit any longer. His concern is not with our physical clutter, rather, the clutter that creeps in our heart...

Bad habits, bitterness, unforgiveneness, lack of obedience, anger, fear, and such things that can crowd God out of our heart.

Perhaps, during this house cleaning that I am in the midst of, I might need to stop, reflect and do alittle spiritual house cleaning. There is great satisfaction of cleaning out a closet, but even more so, such great joy in cleaning up our heart.

Is it time for some de-cluttering in your heart? May we not be "pack rat Christians" any longer.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." -Matthew 5:8

 

THANKFUL THURSDAY...for by grace

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one can boast."

                                               EPHESIANS 2:8,9
 

Today's culture is not far different than the time that this passage was written. There appears to be a fundamental misunderstanding of what God's grace is towards mankind, especially in relation to salvation. All across America, I see a prevalent attitude that the more good you do, the more you get. All I have to do is pick up a tabloid and see that the more "good" one does, it brings "good" in your life, and doing "bad" only brings more "bad" into your life.

Often, after hearing of good things going on, I have heard people say to someone that they are being blessed by God for doing good things. Even though I believe that God blesses and rewards His faithful servants, I do not believe that His goodness is based upon our works.

However, this "good/good - bad/bad" thinking goes all the way back to our childhood. It starts when we all fret over whether or not we make the naughty or nice list. That's right. At Christmas, we tell our children that if they want to get presents, they must be good. And if they are found to be on the "naughty" list, they will receive nothing but coal!

This thinking carries over into our religious beliefs as well, especially when it comes to our salvation. When it comes to our salvation, there is no "naughty or nice" list. There is NOTHING that any of us can do to earn salvation. Jesus presents His gift of life to all ...and we all, at one time or another, have been on the naughty list. For the Bible says that "We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Ephesians 3:23)

So when it comes to understanding what His Grace is, and how it applies to the naughty or nice list, remember this:

1. You can NEVER be good enough to earn salvation, it is a gift of God's grace.
2. You can NEVER be bad enough to be ineligible for salvation, His grace is for everyone.


Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am ever so thankful for His grace! I don't know where or what I would be without it. How about you? Have you accepted the gift of the grace of God yet? It doesn't matter what you have done, it only matters what you accept and believe. Won't you accept God's gift of eternal life today?

Share your grateful heart with us by linking up below.

LACED WITH GRACE...Do the right thing

Today I have shared a devo with the readers over at LACED WITH GRACE entitled "Do the right thing." Hope you will go and check it out!

CLICK HERE to read it.

THANKFUL THURSDAY...God's warmth

It's cold outside!

Even though I live in the south, some of you might be laughing, because we southerners don't really know what "cold" is. Not like some of you. Cold to us is when the temperatures drop below 50. Even though that does not compare to the northern temperatures of below zero, it is still cold outside!

We have had some freezing rain here, which has made driving almost unbearable. It took some people over four hours to drive what should have normally taken 30 minutes. This made many people very grumpy. I've been stuck in traffic for hours like that before and believe me it is NO fun. But cold weather does not have to be something that causes us to complain.

Afterall, the regular occurance of cold is part of the promise made to Noah after the flood. God swore never to destroy every living creature again...

"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease." Genesis 8:22

Cold can be a wonderful thing.

Doesn't a cold drink quench your thirst? The cold can keep us indoors, wrapped up in front of a fire to read a book. The cold can motivate us to invite friends over for a big pot of chili. The cold can keep us in on a friday night playing board games with our kids instead of running in different directions. The cold can remind us of our appreciation of the warmth of the sun.

So as the cold winter brews up around you outside, sit around the fire and bask in the warmth of the Son! God's love will be the fire that never goes out.

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am thankful for alot of things, but on this cold day, I am really thankful for the warmth of God's love, grace and forgiveness. How about you? What are you grateful for today? Please link up with us below. HAPPY TT!

WE are the church!

Several years ago, a youth pastor commented to me how completely different all four of our kids were. So different, that it was hard to imagine that they grew up in the same house. One of the greatest things about my family is how different each of us is. There is nothing wrong with different.

Having differences in family does not make one better than the other, it just makes us different. Our kids all have different strengths and different weaknesses.  That is what makes them unique and special. And as different as we may be, at the end of the day, we are still family.

Sometimes, I think we can lose sight of that in the family of God.

 Lately, I have been hearing other Christians comparing their church to others. I know, I know…it’s like the story of the young boy who tells all of his friends that HIS dad is the biggest, the strongest and the fastest. We all like to think that OUR church is the best, with the best pastor, the best worship, and where the Holy Spirit moves like no other.

But we need to be careful of who and what we are boasting about. THE church is not the name on the sign, nor is it the man we call “pastor”, THE church isn’t even how large or small our congregation is or how many members are in the choir. THE church is not where it is located, or how much it cost.

THE church comes in different sizes, shapes and colors. For you see, THE church is not a building, it is not a person, THE church is where God resides. WE are the church…but who is we?

WE are His followers. We are spirit filled, forgiven followers of Christ. WE are from many denominations, with one belief…that Jesus Christ is Lord, He lived, He died, He rose again, and He is sitting at the right hand of the Father, interceding on our behalf, and He is going to return one day, very soon.

We may all be different, but we are from the same family. And one day, we will walk the streets of gold together.  Heaven will not be divided by race, or by wealth or by denomination.  Nor will heaven be divided by how big or small the church you attended, or how loud you sang, or if you jumped the pew or prayed silently.  

1 Corinthians 12:27 “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

Please do not make the mistake of committing the sin of self-righteousness or judging by doing church comparison. Like my kids, we, as Christians, all have our differences…but in the end, we are all family. The family of God!

WE are the church!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...Daily Word

At the beginning of this new year, I devoted to read thru the Bible. Each morning, I sit with my Read-thru-the-Bible-in-a-year Bible and read the passages for the day. It feels good to be working towards a goal.

But is that all it is? Is it just about being able to cross off my daily reading list or is it more?

Reading God's Word must be more. God's Word says that we should study to show ourselves approved...
 

2 Timothy 2:15 "Study to shew yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

With the stress of life, and the workings of the enemy, we all need God's Word in our life. We not only need to read It, but study It, Believe It, Know It and be able to teach It! The only way we can do that is by putting God's Word in our heart.

It is safe to say that we can't just read His Word, We must meditate upon it daily so it becomes part of us.

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am so thankful for God's Word. From age to age, It never changes. The only thing that changes is me, when I allow His Word to permeate my heart and soul.

Join your grateful heart with ours today by linking up your TT post below.