Sunday, April 10, 2016

Stingy or generous?

I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I challenge you to put me to the test. Bring the entire ten percent into the storehouse, so there will be food in my house. Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing. ~ Malachi 3:10 (CEV)

Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. ~ 2 Corinthians 9:6 (NLT)
Lord, thank you for being so generous with us. We get so much from you and we don't deserve any of it. I want to be generous like you. And I'm confused because my natural inclination is to be stingy -- even when I'm aware of how much I've been given. Could it be that my underlying problem is fear? What am I afraid will happen if I become more generous? I want to try it and find out. I'm going to become consistent in my giving to your church. And I'm going to look for ways to give to people all week long. I'm going to tip 20% at the restaurant -- even though I'm only expected to give 15%. Because your generous Holy Spirit lives in me, I'm going to be able to give way more than I can imagine at this point. And I'm not going to do it because I'm expecting anything in return but because I'm a part of your team. I'm not afraid. Amen.