The past six weeks have been a whirlwind. What began as crazy bad has turned into crazy good—and I’m left sitting in complete awe of God . . .
In part one of this blog, I shared some of the common mindsets that blind us to greed and hinder giving, while highlighting Biblical truths that help point us in the right direction (READ HERE). However, generosity has a starting point - you will not just wake up one day suddenly more generous. So, in part two of this article I want to share a bit about my personal journey and offer some practical tips for how to walk this out. It has nothing to do with how much money we have, and everything to do with the posture of our hearts. When we begin to see as God sees and love as He loves, the things of this world begin to lose their appeal (Mark 8:35-36) and we start wanting to . . .
Several years ago, my 4-year-old son confronted my ideas on sharing when I did not want to give some of his toys away (you can read the story HERE). Little did I know that was just the beginning of God challenging me in this area. I often thank God for the blessings in my life, which include my many possessions and comforts . . . but I am starting to wonder if some of these things (and the wealth that surrounds me in my community) are not always blessings. Instead, could these comforts be blinding me to the needs and suffering in this world, and actually encumbering my giving and dependence on God? Scripture warns us that the riches of this world can hinder us from God’s kingdom (1 Timothy 6:6-10), so would it be better if I had “just enough” instead of . . .
We are all too aware of the recent tragedies among the African American community, more recently the senseless murder of George Floyd . . . an act that has stirred up a lot of anger and sorrow over the last few weeks. Though I am deeply grieved by what is going on in our country, I cannot help but wonder if God has allowed these things to transpire for a greater purpose. Is He trying to highlight the suffering, inequalities, and injustices that are still occurring, SO THAT we would be stirred to right the wrongs from our past? But if that is the case, how do we . . .
I have never met a person that enjoyed the loss of control. It is during times of crisis, when we cannot solve our problems on our own, that our faith is truly tested. Either panic and fear overtake us, and prove our spiritual foundation unsteady, or our faith is refined as we take God at His Word and stand in His faithfulness (Deuteronomy 31:6).
After 9/11, the churches were suddenly flooded with individuals who did not normally attend (or even claim to believe in God) - dire times drove many on a quest for hope. Often, we do not know how much we need God until God is all we have. The truth is, no matter what crisis surrounds us (whether something like 9/11 or the current global Covid-19 pandemic), there is tremendous peace available for anyone willing to put their trust God . . . but practically even Christians can find it hard to acquire. So during these times of uncertainty (or even times of terror), how can we . . .
