VEHICLE No. 5 [GIVING]
Before we start talking about how to operate the GIVING vehicle, let’s start by talking about why. Let’s be honest—for many people, this is the one vehicle they’d like to avoid most. Maybe that’s where you are today. As soon as you saw that this vehicle was GIVING, you rolled your eyes and thought about skipping this one altogether.
No one would blame you. Money is one of our most prized possessions, and for many people, it’s one of our biggest sources of security. Money brings us comfort and peace when we have it, and stress and worry when we don’t. So, why in the world would God want us to give some of it away?! Jesus begins addressing that exact question in Matthew 6.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21 (NIV)
Jesus said that wherever our treasure goes, our hearts will follow. We see this principle play out in many different areas of life. Take your life savings and put them into airline stock this week and watch how your heart will follow your treasure. You will never be more interested in the airline industry! You’ll read articles, watch the news, and investigate stock trends; you may even find yourself praying for the success of the airline business. The point is that your heart will follow your money.
God knows this is how we are wired, and that is exactly why He said some of our treasures need to be rerouted to help build His kingdom.
Understand this: God doesn’t need our money or our hearts. God knows WE need Him to have our hearts. We need our hearts to go toward the things of God because it’s then when we start living “life to the fullest;” it’s then we start getting closer to God and begin experiencing the kind of life we’ve been craving all along. This GIVING vehicle is not about God needing anything from us; it’s about US needing to get closer to God, and it begins with giving.
Like all six of these spiritual vehicles you are exploring, it will be your choice if you use the GIVING vehicle or not. God makes it very clear that it’s our choice, and the benefits of doing so are big. But so are the consequences if we neglect this vehicle.
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24 (NIV)
Learning to operate the GIVING vehicle is essential to you moving closer to God. It might be scary at first, but it will take you exactly where you are dying to go.
Movement Day 24
TO DO
- Talk to God about where you are with this GIVING vehicle.
- Ask God to help you prioritize your life and to see your relationship with Him as far more important than dollar bills.
- Ask God to begin blessing your finances as you begin looking for ways to obey Him when it comes to your finances.
TO READ
- MATTHEW 24
- PROVERBS 24
- Write down one thought.
TO REMEMBER
GIVING is all about us getting closer to God. As we obey His Word and honor Him with our finances, God not only blesses our finances in ways we never could have imagined, but it brings us into a closer relationship with Him. And that is well worth the price of admission.
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