Thursday, August 20, 2020
Offerings
“The architect can’t control what use will be made of the spaces she designs. The microbiologist can’t control the ways in which his research may be applied. The artist can’t control where the patron hangs the painting. All our efforts are offerings. The best we can do is send our gifts out with a prayer that they do no harm, and some good, in ways and places we can’t know about–and need not know.” page 205
God has given each of us gifts. We can use these gifts to help bring healing into the lives of others. But how that happens is in God’s hands, not ours.
Contrary to what our culture tells us, and even other Christians, our gifts are not meant to make us feel good about ourselves or that we are more special than other people. Our gifts are not for us. They are for God, 100%. And this is good news because God always has our best interests in mind.
Sometimes we hoard our gifts–collecting them like toys, profiting off them for personal gain, and distributing them only as we want to share them. But everything we have is a gift from God, given for serving God and God’s purposes in this world.
That means we don’t prioritize our comfort, but take the risks necessary to follow Jesus into the places that we wouldn’t otherwise choose to go.
That means we don’t vote for our best interests, but for the best interests of those who are oppressed, marginalized, and suffering.
That means we don’t concern ourselves with how we will spend “our money” (whether on clothes or cottages or cars or cats :). It all belongs to God, just as we belong to God.
Our gifts are for others, just as their gifts are for us.
Pray that you would discover the ways that God is calling you to share your gifts in ways that help others experience God’s healing power.
This week’s devotions are based on the book Word by Word: A Daily Spiritual Practice by Marilyn McEntyre. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids. 2016.
Offerings
“The architect can’t control what use will be made of the spaces she designs. The microbiologist can’t control the ways in which his research may be applied. The artist can’t control where the patron hangs the painting. All our efforts are offerings. The best we can do is send our gifts out with a prayer that they do no harm, and some good, in ways and places we can’t know about–and need not know.” page 205
God has given each of us gifts. We can use these gifts to help bring healing into the lives of others. But how that happens is in God’s hands, not ours.
Contrary to what our culture tells us, and even other Christians, our gifts are not meant to make us feel good about ourselves or that we are more special than other people. Our gifts are not for us. They are for God, 100%. And this is good news because God always has our best interests in mind.
Sometimes we hoard our gifts–collecting them like toys, profiting off them for personal gain, and distributing them only as we want to share them. But everything we have is a gift from God, given for serving God and God’s purposes in this world.
That means we don’t prioritize our comfort, but take the risks necessary to follow Jesus into the places that we wouldn’t otherwise choose to go.
That means we don’t vote for our best interests, but for the best interests of those who are oppressed, marginalized, and suffering.
That means we don’t concern ourselves with how we will spend “our money” (whether on clothes or cottages or cars or cats :). It all belongs to God, just as we belong to God.
Our gifts are for others, just as their gifts are for us.
Pray that you would discover the ways that God is calling you to share your gifts in ways that help others experience God’s healing power.
This week’s devotions are based on the book Word by Word: A Daily Spiritual Practice by Marilyn McEntyre. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids. 2016.
