Yes you. Allow me to quote a verse that we talk about very often and completely manage to miss from Luke 6:38.
The point is in the bold print. This isn't God doing the pouring. This is God using men to do the pouring. People. Humans. Connections and relationships. In short, when we give what God asks of us, our return is that God grants us favor and we are blessed by what that favor returns to us which, according to the verse, will be far and above what we gave in the first place.
Yay.
However, today I walked down the street and I ran into a person I have had on my heart for a while. She explained that she is preparing to move to California because she can't find a computer monitor. This bothers me. Remember that I just say that the promise of God in this verse is that He will use people to bring resources and such into our lives by pouring out favor on us as we do what He asks. The inherent problem is that those people being called on to give to someone might be disobedient.
Translation: you may very well be holding up someone's God-given blessing because you're being stubborn. Stop it.
I have a monitor that I use for doing design work. It's awesome and very useful, but it's not like I can't afford another one. As such, I'm asking God to either move on the heart of someone to give her a monitor or clearly tell me to give her my own. In the latter case: dear disobedient person -- STOP IT. That is all.
Take a moment and see if God is speaking to you about giving someone something. Nevermind whether you feel that you can or not; if God is commanding you to do something, then it's something you can do. If He is commanding you to give something of yours, stop being a wuss and do it already. In case, you missed it, the blessing here is exponential. If someone gives and they are blessed with favor for their obedience, do you somehow think God will skip blessing you because you were being obedient? C'mon now. Look over your life.
You should know better.
The Church -- my Big Brother's lovely bride -- is suffering lack because we don't want to be involved or let go and that's foolishness. In giving to others and being otherwise obedient, we're really only helping ourselves and in doing anything other than that, we're shooting ourselves in the foot. I'm not saying that you need to go and find the first person that needs a car and give them yours or something outrageous, but don't ignore God tugging on your heart when you feel it, either. It makes people suffer when you do.
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.For those of you who can't follow King James Shakespearean chatter:
“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
The point is in the bold print. This isn't God doing the pouring. This is God using men to do the pouring. People. Humans. Connections and relationships. In short, when we give what God asks of us, our return is that God grants us favor and we are blessed by what that favor returns to us which, according to the verse, will be far and above what we gave in the first place.
Yay.
However, today I walked down the street and I ran into a person I have had on my heart for a while. She explained that she is preparing to move to California because she can't find a computer monitor. This bothers me. Remember that I just say that the promise of God in this verse is that He will use people to bring resources and such into our lives by pouring out favor on us as we do what He asks. The inherent problem is that those people being called on to give to someone might be disobedient.
Translation: you may very well be holding up someone's God-given blessing because you're being stubborn. Stop it.
I have a monitor that I use for doing design work. It's awesome and very useful, but it's not like I can't afford another one. As such, I'm asking God to either move on the heart of someone to give her a monitor or clearly tell me to give her my own. In the latter case: dear disobedient person -- STOP IT. That is all.
Take a moment and see if God is speaking to you about giving someone something. Nevermind whether you feel that you can or not; if God is commanding you to do something, then it's something you can do. If He is commanding you to give something of yours, stop being a wuss and do it already. In case, you missed it, the blessing here is exponential. If someone gives and they are blessed with favor for their obedience, do you somehow think God will skip blessing you because you were being obedient? C'mon now. Look over your life.
You should know better.
The Church -- my Big Brother's lovely bride -- is suffering lack because we don't want to be involved or let go and that's foolishness. In giving to others and being otherwise obedient, we're really only helping ourselves and in doing anything other than that, we're shooting ourselves in the foot. I'm not saying that you need to go and find the first person that needs a car and give them yours or something outrageous, but don't ignore God tugging on your heart when you feel it, either. It makes people suffer when you do.
I was just reading today in Acts about how everyone pooled resources and claimed nothing as their own. Interesting.
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