Craig Springer, former Executive Director of Alpha USA and author of the book, “How to Follow Jesus: A Practical Guide for Growing Your Faith”, shared the following helpful insight.
The only way, and I mean the Only way, to get a grip on money’s power in your heart is to return it to its owner. And that’s not you or me. [But] I’ve found myself occasionally getting trapped in the “When I, then I” spiral. Maybe you can relate.
• When I have saved up enough for retirement, then I will be more generous.
• When I finish my exams, then I will use my time to serve others.
• When I get a raise, then I will start tithing.
The problem with “When I, then I” thinking is – it never stops. There is always another desired threshold to cross, another penny to save, another purchase to make. It also violates Jesus’ vital principle of faithfulness (Luke 16:10): “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.”
If you are a boss, for example, you don’t give the big project to a new employee right away. You give them small tasks first, see how they handle those small tasks, and then entrust them with larger tasks. It’s the same with God and the resources He places into our lives for His purposes. He invites us to be faithful with what is already in our hands. He wants us to develop muscles of faithfulness, generosity, and a His-versus-mine mentality in small ways. God wants us to grow the skill of release before He grows what we receive.
Start releasing [what’s already God’s] right away. Don’t wait. We might not have tomorrow; we only have today to be faithful.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 9:6-11), “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: ‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever’ (quote of Psalm 112:9). Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”
Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. As a farmer soon learns, never be stingy with the seed. The amount of seed the farmer plants will determine the size of the crop he will be able to harvest. He might try to save money on equipment and other areas, but he must always be generous with the seed. Paul explains it this way: You can’t sow sparingly and reap generously. If you have a small amount of seed to sow, you will have a small crop to harvest. But if you are generous with the seed, you will have a generous crop to harvest.
Have you learned the powerful truth of this principle? May you sow generously and also reap generously!
This Sunday, March 2, we will continue our teaching series, “Money Matters!”, with the wonderful truth of “Sowing and Reaping” (2 Corinthians 9:6-11). Key: What you sow is what you will reap and How you sow is how you will reap, plus the Lord of the Harvest will be faithful to provide for you. Please invite someone to join you in the building or online for the Live broadcast on either Facebook (Honolulu AG) or our YouTube channel (Honolulu Assembly of God). We Livestream every Sunday to both locations and would love to have you join us.
Update: Due to a conflict in scheduling, Roger Huang, director of “San Francisco City Impact”, will not be here in April. We look forward to his next visit.
The Celebration of Life service for Pastor Joyce Kamai will be Tuesday, March 4, at Borthwick Mortuary at 10am.
Aloha ke Akua!
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