Bold Giving
Bold defined means: fearless and adventurous; willing and
eager to face danger or adventure with a sense of confidence and fearlessness.
Have you ever felt adventurous and daring when you dropped the envelope or roll
of cash into the collection basket at church? Do you feel that way every time?
Most of us don’t. Is that wrong? There’s a song by Matthew West called, My
Own Little World. One of the lines reads; “I throw a twenty in the plate,
but I never give ‘til it hurts.” Is it supposed to hurt?
Today’s reading holds a story about a group of believers who
shared everything, including all of their possessions. They were “one in heart
and mind. No one claimed that any of the possessions was his own, but they
shared everything they had. There were no needy persons among them.”
This makes me think of a commune situation. If the numbers weren't too high, and everyone shared what they had for the good of the cause it
might be an awesome little community. But now look at this big world. How can
we possibly even make a dent in the multitudes of needy across the globe? The
numbers are unimaginable, yet God calls us to reach out in many places
throughout the bible:
Romans 15:1-3.
Deuteronomy 15:11
1 John 3:17-18
Acts 20:35
Proverbs 19:17
Proverbs 22:9
Luke 12:33-34
…and the list of clear messages to serve others goes on.
Whether it is giving at the church to be dispersed as the church ministries
determine, or reaching out directly to those in need within our own life, it is
what the Lord expects of us. And, our giving is not to be with reluctance, for
“God loves a cheerful giver.”
2 Corinthians 9:7
On last Monday’s radio show with Chuck Swindoll, he
described world ministry in this way: It’s like working in a mine. Some go
down, to do the actual work while others stay on the surface and hold the rope.
Both are needed, as the job cannot be done without one or the other. We can
jump in and directly serve if that is what we are called to do, or we can hold
the rope in support of those who are equipped to go down. Holding the rope can be just as bold as going down, as long as we don’t let go.
Read/Listen to Acts 4: 32-5:11
Watch/Listen to “My Own Little World” by Matthew West
