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“The Great
Giveaway”
By Susanne
Scheppmann
Key Verse:
For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21, (NIV)
Devotion:
“I feel like I am shopping at my own garage
sale!” I murmured to myself. Sifting through closets, I discovered long buried
treasures. (Rather, treasures long forgotten.) “Were they treasures if I didn’t
even remember them?” I pondered.
Moving
day hovered over my head. In two weeks, I needed these “treasures” boxed and
ready to move into a smaller home. The question begged to be answered, “What in
the world am I going to do with all this stuff?”
As I mulled over the
problem in my head, I thought of the rich young ruler in Gospel of Mark. I
remembered the Scripture, “Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘ One thing you
lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you
will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ At this the man's face
fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.” (Mark 10:17-22) “ Hmmm,
how do I compare to that young man? What would Christ have me do with “my
stuff?” I wondered.
In answer to my
questions, I discovered three scriptural principles for giving to others.
Give In! Give in to God’s thoughts on material possessions.
Although, our culture tells us accumulating things makes us a more valuable
person, Scripture tells us to, “Sell your possessions, and give to the poor.
Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that
will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.” (Luke 12:33) Author A.W. Tozer writes,
“Never own anything. I do not mean that you cannot have things. I mean that you
ought to get delivered from the sense of possessing them. This sense of
possessing is what hinders us…understand that it is His…If it is God’s you no
longer need to worry about it.”
Christ
wants us to “seek our treasure in heaven.” We need to give in to Jesus and seek
him. Allow him to become the treasure in our life.
Give Up! Jesus bids us to give up the credit when we help
others. Listen to what he said, “Take care! Don't do your good deeds publicly,
to be admired, because then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven
. . . But when you give to someone, don't tell your left hand what your right
hand is doing. Give your gifts in secret, and your Father, who knows all
secrets, will reward you.” (Matthew
6:1-4 NLT)
Give up the credit for a
good deed whenever possible. Attempt to give help anonymously without anyone
knowing. Remember, your Father knows!
Give Cheerfully! The final principle is to give and do it
cheerfully. God asks us to give out of cheerful hearts. The Apostle Paul in II
Corinthians 9:7 advises, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart
to give, not reluctantly or under compulsions, for God loves a cheerful
giver.”
We live with material
abundance. We need to give because we are blessed. Besides the Bible tells us,
“When we give to the hungry, the thirsty, those in need of clothing, to anyone
in need; we are really giving to Jesus.” (Paraphrased Matthew 25:35-40) Do we
need any more prodding than that?
As I finished boxing my
treasures to “give in, give up, and give cheerfully” I recalled the Proverbs 31
woman. I believe she knew the three giveaway principles. “She opens her arms to
the poor and extends her hands to the needy Proverbs 31:20.”
What is Jesus asking you
to give in “The Great Giveaway” of life?
Prayer:
Lord, help me to
remember that you love a cheerful giver. Help me to loose the strings of sentimental
attachment to things that are not important. Give me a discerning heart on what
I should give away and to whom.
Application steps: Set a goal to once a
month clean out a closet, a drawer, your
garage, etc. Make a list of charities and churches that could benefit
from your cheerful giving. Then give it away!
Refection points:
Do
I worry about my material possessions?
Do
I have more “stuff” than storage?
Who
would be blessed by my giving?
Am
I a cheerful giver?
Power verses:
1
Tim. 6:19, In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm
foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is
truly life. (NIV)
Psalm
37:4, Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your
heart. (NIV)
Isaiah
33:6, He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation
and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.
(NIV)
© 2004 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.
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