Day 40 – claim your treasure
October 26th, 2007I had gotten a little behind on my reading this week. Rob and I have tried to read the chapters together in the mornings, but sometimes schedules (and forgetfulness) have gotten in the way. As I was looking over the remaining chapters for the week, I was struck by an idea that I remembered from our study of The Purpose Driven Life—the idea that worship is a way of life, not just a time we spend on Sunday morning in the sanctuary. Our whole lives, our daily thoughts and actions, are an offering to God out of love for what He has done for us.
In Dr. Mathison’s words, “Worshiping God means living to please him in everything we do, honoring him with our words and actions. It means trusting him and believing what he promises us in the Bible. It’s having a passion to see his will accomplished and to bring other people to him.” And Romans 12:1 says, “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” This verse immediately precedes the one about not being conformed to the world but being transformed, as in the title of the book we have been studying.
I am coming to realize that this giving up of ourselves is very much an act of faith, whether it comes to money or time given in service. We don’t really know what the outcome will be when we give. Will we have enough left for the things we want to do for ourselves or our family? But somehow I think when we give, that is when God is able to work a transformation in our lives. Either He multiplies our time or money so that we have more to give, or He changes our perspective so that we are content to live with less money or activity than we once thought we needed. We find our contentment in a closer, more meaningful relationship with Him and the satisfaction that we are helping bring His kingdom on earth.
I sort of recoiled at the idea expressed earlier in the book that when we gave to God in faith, we got more in return than we had before. I thought that this encouraged the wrong motivation for giving. But just yesterday, I came across another story that followed the same lines. A builder in
Linda – I think you have summarized this past 40 day transformation learning experience exactly with your statement:
God is able to work a transformation in our lives. Either He multiplies our time or money so that we have more to give, or He changes our perspective so that we are content to live with less money or activity than we once thought we needed. We find our contentment in a closer, more meaningful relationship with Him and the satisfaction that we are helping bring His kingdom on earth.
Thanks,
Gary
An quote from an unexpected source: “There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich.”
– Marlene Dietrich
Though I would prefer to gain Ms. Dietrich’s wisdom through first-hand experience, I agree with Gary, that Linda’s paragraph about God’s transforming powers is indeed the heart of the matter.
– Danny