In this Christmas Season - Give
Scripture - Luke 6:38: "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Meditation: In the second part of this chapter of Luke, Jesus provides principles to live by. Love your enemies, give to those who ask, be merciful, do not judge and then, again, give. But the second time, it is giving with a promise. We are not to give to get – Jesus shows the emptiness of that kind of giving - we give because God has blessed us so very much. What is Christmas about? Giving! But our culture has turned this around and Christmas has become about what we are going to receive. True giving does not mean trading wealth among our families. It’s not giving a token of our spare change to the Salvation Army bell ringer at the store. Our verse says; with the measure we use – it will be measured to us. If we give sparingly of our excess, we will reap sparingly. If we give generously and openly, God will give generously and openly to us. Again, we don’t give so that we will get more. Giving our late model car away, as generous as that sounds, doesn’t necessarily mean God is going to bless us with a new car. The Lord calls us to give with open hands as He leads. Jesus gave up everything to leave Heaven and give Himself for us. He calls us to give to others out of our gratefulness for what He has done for us.
Challenge: Examine how you have traditionally celebrated Christmas and look at Christmas differently this year. Is your Christmas celebration about sacrificial giving to affect another’s life and draw them to Jesus Christ? What can you and your family do to give to another family – to really make a difference in their lives for the Lord?
Thought for the Day I will seek to be more giving this Christmas season. To reach out to others with the love of Jesus Christ and be used to make a difference in their lives.
E-votion, a weekly electronic publication by Chris Garner from Fortified Marriages
Scripture - Luke 6:38: "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Meditation: In the second part of this chapter of Luke, Jesus provides principles to live by. Love your enemies, give to those who ask, be merciful, do not judge and then, again, give. But the second time, it is giving with a promise. We are not to give to get – Jesus shows the emptiness of that kind of giving - we give because God has blessed us so very much. What is Christmas about? Giving! But our culture has turned this around and Christmas has become about what we are going to receive. True giving does not mean trading wealth among our families. It’s not giving a token of our spare change to the Salvation Army bell ringer at the store. Our verse says; with the measure we use – it will be measured to us. If we give sparingly of our excess, we will reap sparingly. If we give generously and openly, God will give generously and openly to us. Again, we don’t give so that we will get more. Giving our late model car away, as generous as that sounds, doesn’t necessarily mean God is going to bless us with a new car. The Lord calls us to give with open hands as He leads. Jesus gave up everything to leave Heaven and give Himself for us. He calls us to give to others out of our gratefulness for what He has done for us.
Challenge: Examine how you have traditionally celebrated Christmas and look at Christmas differently this year. Is your Christmas celebration about sacrificial giving to affect another’s life and draw them to Jesus Christ? What can you and your family do to give to another family – to really make a difference in their lives for the Lord?
Thought for the Day I will seek to be more giving this Christmas season. To reach out to others with the love of Jesus Christ and be used to make a difference in their lives.
E-votion, a weekly electronic publication by Chris Garner from Fortified Marriages