Investing in the Kingdom
January 4, 2008
Bible Reading: 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven, And pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. 11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your
sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the LORD of hosts; 12 And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,” says the LORD of hosts. ~Malachi 3:10-12 (NKJV)
Bonus Reading: Haggai 1:3-10
What biblical principles should direct a Christian’s giving? Far from being a burden, giving is viewed by the wise believer as a “blessing opportunity,” and the first Scripture above talks about how God views it—probably the only time in Scripture when He tells us to test Him—linking giving our tithes—our first ten percent—to His promise of blessing and protection to us.
When we give, we’re placing ourselves directly in the path of God’s blessings. Solomon—the wisest man who ever lived—amplified it: “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing and your vats will brim over with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10).
It’s pretty clear. If we choose to honor God by giving Him the first of our time, talent and treasure, not the “leftovers,” he intends to reward us. So, it makes perfect sense, that as we plan our budgets and calendars we should use our boldest, most indelible pen to reserve our first appointments with Him, while also writing His check first, and then trusting Him to meet our other needs. Certainly Jesus’ words in St Matthew 6:33 ring out this truth: “…Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Obviously, the Lord intended for us not to worry about this world’s supply, but to make His Kingdom our priority—then He would take care of what we needed.
Although this might not seem like the prudent path to a real return on investment, we can take God at His Word that He will reward us—in ways we might not have considered. Remember the story of the widow and her son who were about to eat their last meal and die because of a severe famine? She gave to God’s prophet Elijah first, before even caring for her own needs. God worked miraculously so that “no matter how much they used, there was always enough [flour and oil] left in the containers” (1 Kings 17:16)—supplying her needs! When we give to God first, regardless of our needs, we see how big our God can be in our lives. If we withhold from Him, we miss blessings and provisions the Lord longs to shower on us.
But does it still work today? Sure! A seasoned Christian once spoke of how 50 years earlier, he and his wife committed to give God the first portion of their income. As a young couple, they searched their budget for ways to cut expenses. But they found no way to do this and still meet the needs of their growing family. Praying over their decision, they began giving to God first anyway, knowing that by the end of the third week of every month they’d be out of money. God provided faithfully, month after month and year after year. He cared for their family creatively through odd jobs, leading others to share clothing or homegrown vegetables, a bonus or overtime pay from work, close-out-priced items in stores—and so on. Although they were very limited in their ability to give, they did what they could—with a cheerful heart, doing it to and for the Lord. Did they become rich? Not apparently—but their dedication had to bring a tear to God’s eye. Think about that for a second—warming God’s heart!
So—what’s the answer? If we invest in the Kingdom, will we be skinny, rich and gorgeous? Perhaps not here—but, in God’s Kingdom—and His eyes—we’ll all be a “10” with Warren Buffett checkbooks. The reward? It’s a matter of when God decides to deliver on His promises—now, or later. And, after all, where will the real treasure be? The Bible says that this world and all its goods will one day pass away, but that we pursue the incorruptible prize—and making Jesus Lord in our time, talent, and treasure is a huge part of how we pursue that prize.
But what happened to the family who made sacrifices to give to the Kingdom through their local parish? By making giving to the Lord’s work their first financial priority, they learned more about the love, care, and reality of God as their Heavenly Father than through any other spiritual discipline. We cannot imagine the return on their investment the Lord has for them. But Scripture tells us—it will happen…it’s just a question of when.
At the beginning of this new year, we are entering the stewardship drive cycle—building our budget for the year, so this is a very timely topic. We have seen unprecedented blessings and opportunity for service in our parish—and are working very hard to accomplish the mission of providing for God’s people in our ancient way, while reaching out to the unchurched around us. There are so many reasons to be part of the parish—we need to expand our worship spaces and classrooms, provide more services to young families and the elderly, reach out more effectively to bring the Lord to our community, and make more services and ministerial support available to those who need them. To get there, we need to expand our budget and volunteer workforce. Will you be part of the vision by investing in the Kingdom with us—to God’s reward?
Contemplative Prayer: “Holy Spirit, please show me my heart about my time, talent, and treasure—and how I can best invest in God’s Kingdom.”
Think about it: Where my heart is, there is my treasure.
All love in the Beloved,
Chip+
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