F.M. Dostoyevsky
We are all the products of living in yesterday's uncertainty. Yesterday, someone faced vulnerability with boldness. Yesterday, someone faced chaos with tranquility. Yesterday, someone took hold of the unknown and embraced it with opportunity and courage. Yesterday, someone stepped outside of their world of comfort and control and stumbled with humility into the shadowlands of ignorance.
Today we live in the boldness, optimism, courage and tenacity of these heroes of transition. However, the true gift with which we can honor these heroes, is not to deify their destination but rather to embrace their focus. The wild west has become with place of pleasure and passivity. The pioneers who carved a nation from wilderness have been dismissed to historical figures rather than reproduced to ongoing legacies in living human beings, today.
The economic times in which we live, do not require passive conservatism that shut our wallets in self defense. The true Christian faith entwines itself around the nature of an altogether supreme God who wraps us in the palm of his hands. His providence merges sovereignty with goodness which allows us to fall into his wisdom with absolute confidence. His protection of us is not to create a trouble free world. That actually produces overprotected children of possessive parents. He walks us "through the valley of the shadow of death". He leads us through the "valley of Baca to make it a place of springs". He " returns the captives to Zion to dream new dreams".
May I suggest, this is not a time to fear. This is a time to fall into the ever present arms of the one who seeks to bless us. Like Isaac we are to sow in times of famine and see a great harvest. Or like Joseph to see all around us blessed because of our presence-well actually because of the Father's favor. With Spirit led wisdom, it is time to sow, to give, to be extravagantly generous. Lets get the basics behind us and get that 10% into the storehouse of our faith. That Abrahamic, grace driven first response, can then be followed by the fun. Watch and see what God does. When we start giving offerings, give to the poor, give to the gospel to the nations, God will celebrate over us with delight. Then, splash your journey with daily generosity and you will be amazed at what God will do.
I said to M when we entered the salaried ministry, that we would never be rich, we would just do things that rich people do. That dear friends is what has happened. God's financial kindness has been our story. This is not time to fear. It is the time to have a different financial God story...
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