After not sleeping great last night, I ended up sleeping through my alarm and completely missed my window to get to church today, meaning I brewed my coffee in a mug instead of in my Yeti cup and watched Seacoast Church online instead of rushing out the door in my pajamas.
After the worship team opened up the online church sermon, the pastor walks out and begins to talk about generosity and offering.
This is when I begin to pull out my phone, check Twitter, eventually click on an ad that takes me to Amazon, as I begin looking at Christmas gifts for my family and of course, myself.
After tuning out the sermon for about 15 minutes, eventually putting on my headphones to listen to Christmas music instead, I hear the pastor say, "We're going to do something a little bit different today, something we haven't done in almost 20 years now.....we'll be passing out the offering baskets..."
But here's the twist:
.
.
.
Instead of it being an offering where the congregation gave to the church, it was the complete opposite.
"We're going to hand out envelopes with cash in them, just like a reverse-offering."
That's when my phone went down, my headphones came off, and I poured myself another cup of coffee because THIS. WAS. NUTS!!!
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.”
I mean, was this the Oprah show or were they really going to give each and every person in the audience......money? That just doesn't seem right, and I was shocked.
But here's the twist:
"Now don't go spending this on coffee afterwards," meaning this money was not for everyone to keep.
The intentions of the reverse offering was to encourage other people to spend the money that was given to them on someone else. Without having to hack up money that already had/didn't have, the church filled that hole of "I can't, I don't have money to give," by making it so they did have money to give.
Proverbs 3:27
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.
Referring back to when I was spectating Amazon for Christmas gifts, I've been really struggling to budget gifts for this year's Christmas.
Ever since I was 7 years old, I've always bought just about everyone in my family Christmas presents. It's not only because I was raised to give generously without anything in return but because I love the feeling when people smile, laugh, or even cry at whatever I've come up with to give them for Christmas.
With a college budget of what feels like (and I'm not even joking) $20 or so, I hate the fact that I'll be giving high-fives and hugs for people's presents, as I gather other DIY ideas from Pinterest and DIY Christmas pages on Facebook run by local moms.
When I think about it though, that's it. I don't need to spend money on someone because the spending money part doesn't fill anybody's heart. It's the fact that I thought enough about someone to make known to that someone that they mean something to me, and they have a special place in my heart, just as Christ Jesus has a special place for all of us in His heart.
Luke 3:11
John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”
We don't have to extend ourselves or try hard to give to others. We simply just have to do it without hesitation, without making time to make excuses, and by thinking about how we can honor God first and ourselves second.
Start by giving what you already have. If it's not money to the church, then start volunteering, or being an usher, or working the coffee shop.
"...don't find an excuse not to. Reverse that thought..."
If it's not at the church, go give to the local food pantry, give to the local clothing drive, or better yet: volunteer at one.
If you can't do any of those things because you're too busy, then start by giving a smile. Start by giving an honest compliment. Start by encouraging others. Start by sharing what is within you to others who wish they had what you had.
John, one of Jesus' disciples, and the youngest of the pack, said in Luke 3:11 that if anyone has 2 shirts, or 2 of anything, then split and give 1 to someone else.
If you can start giving now, without expecting anything back in return, God's going to fill up your treasures in Heaven.
No, he probably won't have a stockpile of everything you gave to someone waiting in a locker or a chest up in Heaven, but you won't know that unless you believe in His promises, and get to work now.
If God can give you his 100%, put His son on a cross for us all, and let us celebrate the birth of that same son, Jesus, by buying ourselves gifts, then I think we can afford to give a little bit back to those who need the love of Christ more than we can know ourselves.
When you feel deep down in your bones that you should go hold a door for someone, don't find an excuse not to. Reverse that thought and go after that door.
When you feel God calling you to go and serve, whether it's an $800 mission trip or an hour at a food pantry/soup kitchen, don't hesitate, go do it NOW!
When you hear about a single mom not being about to give her kids the Christmas that all of her kids' classmates are getting, go and be an additional Santa Claus for that family!
10% at church, rounding up to a dollar at a grocery store, or even a few encouraging words to someone at work or in the gym is all it's going to take to start changing our world for the better.
With that said,
Live generously without excuses, love without hesitation, and be loved by those who have loved you in your past because they're going to need you in their future.
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