The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.
One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
People curse the man who hoards grain, but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell. He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it. Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
In reflecting on this past year and preparing for the next year we ask ourselves what might we do different that would improve our ability to minister to our donors and volunteers.
Last week's post spoke of the scarcity mentality and the generosity mentality. It seems that this is a real problem for many of us as we face uncertain economic times. But, when were we not in times of uncertainty?
Last night a friend came over who, by his own admission, is living a drab existence. He is single and financially stable, but so worried about everything that he lives a "siege" existence. There is little joy and no real overarching purpose - other than to get through life as unscathed as possible. This is not God's purposes for our lives and I told him so.
As we continued the discussion, a pattern of prayer emerged:
- Remind me Lord of what you have entrusted to me, both material and spiritual gifts.
- Have me declare that these are available (and even required) to be used to bless others and to help them enjoy generous living.
- Have me be more bold in asking people what they are living and saving for.
- Guide me in helping others see their wealth so they can their opportunity to grow.
- Challenge them to take a first step to becoming a generous steward and to what God will do.
Next week we hit the ground again. Let's do so with renewed purpose in the calling we have to expand the kingdom.
Remember, all the really hard work has already been done for us!
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