Sacrifice
Posted by Colston | | Posted On Friday, March 27, 2009
I have been totally rocked this week by some of the things that I have read and listen to. The story of the widows mites, the passage discussing the rich young ruler and also the story in Matthew 13 discussing the greatest treasure.
These passages have made my soul unsettled in the last 24 hours. So I want to share my heart and where it is relating to these passages. I will try and keep it brief and to the point, however, when your soul is unsettled who knows the depth of it.
As you read the story of the widow and her mites, you get a picture of someone who sacrificed just to give back to God. When you read Matt. 13 you see two people who sell all, sacrifice all, knowing what they are getting in return. Then you read the story of the rich guy and you see just the opposite of Matt.13. My soul finds unrest in these passages because I have thought through some things.
In the story of the widow there is the widow and the rich people. Jesus said that she gave more because she gave from her lively hood, and the rich gave out of their abundance. This hits home. When is the last time I gave from my lively hood? Most of us give our 10% and then a little more for the "offering" but if we are honest everything we give is out of our abundance. We never give out of our lively hood. Since I have that treasure that those guy sold all they had to get, why is it that I dont trust God enough to give out of my lively hood? We can give back to God but when we give out of our abundance arent we committing idolatry?
We are saying God here is your portion and Im going to put my trust in the other 90% for my lively hood. That 90% has become what we place our faith in, we trust it for food, for clothing, for shelter, for comfort and for everything. Out of our abundance we open up savings accounts, 401ks, retirement plans and college funds and all this other stuff. Notice what is taken place, our faith for the future is in what? Our faith in our kids future is in what? Our faith in all things has been placed in our abundance and notice where our faith isnt! It isnt in God, the very treasure we "believe" is worth selling everything for.
At the end of the story of the rich young ruler in Luke, Jesus says that if you sacrifice for my sake, you will get your reward here on this earth and also in the life to come.
So my unrest comes because I have now noticed for the last 7 or 8 years that I have really been sold out to God that I have actually only given out of my abundance.
If Im not sacrificing with my giving back to God, then what am I really giving?
I have been fighting with this for the last day and a half.
I dont know if this make sense but Im being eaten away by this idea. Our greatest example of following God is Jesus and notice what Jesus did. He sacrificed.
What is it that we are sacrificing for him? Anything? is 10% really a sacrifice for you? For some, giving 10% is very very difficult, for some you spend 10% of your income at Starbucks every month.
What are you sacrificing?
These passages have made my soul unsettled in the last 24 hours. So I want to share my heart and where it is relating to these passages. I will try and keep it brief and to the point, however, when your soul is unsettled who knows the depth of it.
As you read the story of the widow and her mites, you get a picture of someone who sacrificed just to give back to God. When you read Matt. 13 you see two people who sell all, sacrifice all, knowing what they are getting in return. Then you read the story of the rich guy and you see just the opposite of Matt.13. My soul finds unrest in these passages because I have thought through some things.
In the story of the widow there is the widow and the rich people. Jesus said that she gave more because she gave from her lively hood, and the rich gave out of their abundance. This hits home. When is the last time I gave from my lively hood? Most of us give our 10% and then a little more for the "offering" but if we are honest everything we give is out of our abundance. We never give out of our lively hood. Since I have that treasure that those guy sold all they had to get, why is it that I dont trust God enough to give out of my lively hood? We can give back to God but when we give out of our abundance arent we committing idolatry?
We are saying God here is your portion and Im going to put my trust in the other 90% for my lively hood. That 90% has become what we place our faith in, we trust it for food, for clothing, for shelter, for comfort and for everything. Out of our abundance we open up savings accounts, 401ks, retirement plans and college funds and all this other stuff. Notice what is taken place, our faith for the future is in what? Our faith in our kids future is in what? Our faith in all things has been placed in our abundance and notice where our faith isnt! It isnt in God, the very treasure we "believe" is worth selling everything for.
At the end of the story of the rich young ruler in Luke, Jesus says that if you sacrifice for my sake, you will get your reward here on this earth and also in the life to come.
So my unrest comes because I have now noticed for the last 7 or 8 years that I have really been sold out to God that I have actually only given out of my abundance.
If Im not sacrificing with my giving back to God, then what am I really giving?
I have been fighting with this for the last day and a half.
I dont know if this make sense but Im being eaten away by this idea. Our greatest example of following God is Jesus and notice what Jesus did. He sacrificed.
What is it that we are sacrificing for him? Anything? is 10% really a sacrifice for you? For some, giving 10% is very very difficult, for some you spend 10% of your income at Starbucks every month.
What are you sacrificing?
