Giving generously

from Agapepress.org

**This was so wonderful just decided to print whole thing for your perusal....

A Window of Opportunity to Give

[ Editor's Note: In light of the tremendous outpouring of support by followers of Christ and faith-based groups across the U.S., AgapePress offers the following article as further encouragement to share from God's bountiful blessings with those whose lives have been affected by Hurricane Katrina ]

In our Sound Mind Investing newsletter, we try to regularly emphasize why we are here serving in this way: we want to help you to have more so you can give more to share the good news of Christ's love with the world.

Feature by Austin Pryor
Sound Mind Investing
September 8, 2005

(AgapePress) - I love the beauty of the low country and beaches of South Carolina where we vacation each May. I especially enjoy my early morning quiet times, watching the sun rising up out of the ocean. The colors in the sky speak of God's splendor, the sounds of the pounding surf of His power and vastness, and the variety of wildlife of the pleasure He takes in His creation. Truly, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge." (Psalm 19:1-2)

John Piper expresses the idea this way:

Day pours forth the 'speech' of that message to all that will listen in the day, speaking with blindingly bright sun and blue skies and clouds and untold shapes and colors of all things visible. Night pours forth 'knowledge' of the same message to all who will listen at night, speaking with great dark voids and summer moons and countless stars and strange sounds and cool breezes and northern lights. Day and night are saying one thing: "God is glorious! God is glorious! God is glorious!" (The Pleasures of God, p. 87)

Of course, nowhere was God's glory more marvelously displayed than in Jesus. "For God ... made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6) If we want the glory of God magnified before the nations of the world, we must introduce them to Jesus. That's where The Great Commission comes in. God has opened a window of opportunity for us to play a part in its fulfillment. We can pray for it. We can serve in it. And we can give toward it. Our giving glorifies God as it provides us with --

1) An opportunity to humbly acknowledge that all we have is a gift from Him. "David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, '... Now, our God, we give You thanks, and praise Your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand." (1 Chronicles 29:13-14)

2) An opportunity to prove we love Him more than things. "O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and Your glory. Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You ... My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me." (Psalm 63:1-8)

3) An opportunity to demonstrate that we truly trust God's promises. "[The gifts you sent] are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:18-19)

4) An opportunity to lead others into a round of praising God. "Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." (2 Corinthians 9:13)

5) An opportunity to contribute even more to building His kingdom rather than our own. "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously .... And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:6,8)

When you consider the results that flow from our giving, it's easy to see why God loves a cheerful giver. As we take advantage of these opportunities, we bring joy to our heavenly Father's heart. However, may God grant that we do so while there is time, for the window will soon be closing -- either Christ will return for His bride, or we will end our life here and go to be with Him. Either way, time is fleeting. We must not presume that "there's always next year."

In our staff devotions, we regularly pray that the Lord will expand the hearts of our readers so they -- you -- will give back to Him exceedingly generously. It's the only appropriate response for those of us who have received God's forgiveness and "the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession -- to the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14)

*****************

Thank you Mr. Pryor for a beautifully written treatise.

Top of Page