Details

Published: 04 May 2017

I’ve acknowledged my early struggles with money so that won’t be news to you but years ago I was hoping to help my pre-school age sons get a clear grasp on some basic financial distinctions that I had to learn as a young married man.  When we started giving the boys a small allowance I made a holder for each of them that held three empty peanut-butter jars.  We told them that money has three basic categories; giving, saving and spending.  When we gave them their allowance we put 10% in the giving jar, 10% in the saving jar and 80% in the spending jar.  I told them that God was quite generous in only asking for 10% and that someday they would see that we can actually live better on 90% than on 100%.  Now, some of you will argue with me about allowance.  Some of you will argue with me about tithing.  Some of you will argue with me about percentages.  I don’t want to argue with any of you.  You’ll have to ask our sons whether the lessons worked or not.  My point in this little flash-back is not that I was a good parent; I thank God regularly for His grace to our family!  My point is, we are stewards or managers of what has been entrusted to our care.  Too many people in our culture spend more than they make because they choose a lifestyle first and try to figure out how to pay for it later.  Living on less than we make is possible and learning this early is important.  Whether or not you participate in this project we call “Our Story Continues” is between you and the Lord.  I do hope however that in the process of thinking about it you have given due thought to saving, giving and spending and that you will manage what you have been given “before the Face” of our good, good Father.

Details

Published: 30 April 2017

I’ve been reading a lot about money, giving and stewardship for the past few months.  Not only because we are in a Campaign but because we are in the Campaign.  By we, I mean Diane and I.  We are in this with you.  We are not asking you to do something that we are unwilling to do.  Diane hardly ever struggles with giving, I almost always do.  Because of this I need to re-read how giving makes sense within a Biblical world-view.  I need to think about the history of God’s people.  I need to refresh my memory about the fact that giving is actually an investment in the life to come.  I need to be reminded that the money I have is not really mine anyway and that God has more!  So, I’ve been reading.  In addition to the above reminders this one struck me in the heart, “When we give money we’re giving time, talent and treasure; we give up what we could have used that money for…giving is the cost of love.”  That last phrase really got me.  Admittedly, this campaign cannot be based on a Bible verse.  We will not find a Bible verse that says, “Thou shalt expand thy sanctuary and thou shalt build an educational wing.”  What struck me is this, what if we wanted to build this as a love gift to God and His glory?  I’m not going to preach about that because it sounds manipulative but doing this for love is where I’m at right now.  I have given out of obligation and even grudgingly in the past.  I’m sorry.  I’ve given because I’m a leader in the church and I’m supposed to be an example.  But, this time, for me, this is about love.  God loved me so much that even when I was a sinner, Christ came and died for me!  “No greater love…”  So, when we are giving money, we are really giving all that it took to receive that money AND we are giving what that money could have been used for.  Whatever the amount, that can be a “love gift” to God…not a payment because we could never repay what we owe.  Gifts of gratitude and love can be offered in the light of the Father’s smile .  Yes.