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Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Being a Cheerful Giver It's 3am and I'm still awake. Haha...oh well. No school on wednesdays. =) My parents are flying off to HK soon for about a week. Somehow I can't bear to see them being away from home. It's weird because I was never this attached to them ever. But lately, I am more comfortable being around them. Maybe because I put in effort to bring greater interaction which resulted greater bonding. Hmm I am glad it turned out this way. =) To me, there is a great distance between the ideal relationship I have in mind with my parents, and the reality. So I hope that one day, I am able to close up this gap entirely. =) I always feel that I can do more for people around me. I had one revelation this morning. I was listening to a very old (2 years old?) sermon by Pastor Kong about Marriage, Mortgage and Money. It was a very good lesson revised. He talks about budgeting, about money NOT being the root of all evil and how the #1 killer to marriages today is $$$. It suddenly dawned upon me that what I say doesn't tally with what I do. Immediately repented and change my way of thinking about the money that is in my hands. $$$ that is in YOUR hands. Is it yours, or is it really God's? Yes. I believed my money was from God, that He provided for me. BUT. Something in me was not right with God. I was not being a cheerful giver. I failed to see that I am a mere steward of God. Example. Seeing a favourite dress I want to buy, versus putting that money to help others (being very vague here, intentionally and unintentionally), sometimes I would choose to continue with the purchase of my dress. Because I thought, "I sacrifice so much already towards God. Should be enough already. I give more than most Christians who don't even tithe or give offering. Should be good enough already, because I fulfilled the number one principle in the Bible - Tithing and Offering. That is required of me and I obeyed it. I have fulfilled my call of duty as a Christian. So I have my right to spend everything after giving my tithe and offering. Right God? Hmmm. May be right. But that's definitely not what a mature Christian will do or think! A mature Christian, like apostle Paul said, will divide his/her property and share it among fellow bros and sis in Christ who are in need. Some people think that is madness. Or some label it communism. LOL. But hey, that's exactly what differentiates a young Christian from a mature one! Committing to follow every principle written in the Bible. Maturity does not come with age, nor does it come with how long you have been attending church as a Christian. Maturity comes with the acceptance of responsibility. We have heard this many times, because God cannot use irresponsible, unstable people as His vessels. So my revelation in this context would be that maturity comes when we assume responsibility of sharing our finances with those in need. It may not refer to the poor and sick all the time, but it includes the others around us. Sharing our finances = sharing of our lives. But sadly, not many are capable of doing/seeing that. Because that's human nature. We are all selfish people. We prefer to think we earn our own keeping, and don't see why should we sacrifice it until so far. But Jesus said "Freely you have received, freely GIVE". In ALL things....not just spiritual gifts! So right now, I don't bear grudges anymore when I have to use my finances to help those in need of my financial help. I don't complain inside my heart to God any longer, because I know what I have God has lent it unto me; anytime He requires of it, He has the right to take it away. And so, I should be willing to release it as a blessing to others. =) That's my heart's priority - to be of help to others. Thinking in this way, the heart no longer clings so tightly on the money issue of my life. =) It feels great to be released and more relaxed about money issues. Knowing that when we bless others, we get blessed back. =) It's awesome. Labels: contemplative, daily rantings, revelation 3:17 AM
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