Give More 3 (Matthew 5:3-12)

Matthew 5:3-12

Giving more can be painful. It can be painful financially, it can be painful emotionally, and it can be painful mentally - but giving more will never be painful spiritually. In fact, it will be the opposite. The more you give, the more you will be spiritually fulfilled because when we give more, we make more room for God in our lives.

Jesus gives voice to so many paradoxical statements like those found in The Beattitudes because His kingdom is in direct conflict with the 'kingdom's' in this world. We lust after power but through his sacrificial life and death, Jesus scorned it. We chase after earthly happiness but Jesus sought joy in eternity. We look for immediate gratification but Jesus sees the fullness of time.

I truly believe that the ability to give more is simply a matter of perspective: like being able to shift your focus so that you see the vase instead of the profile in the picture. If we can keep our hearts focused on Christ, we will naturally desire to give more. Here are some good ways to re-shift your focus on a daily basis:
-Set your alarm during the day to remind you to pray or read the Bible.
-Tape a note or picture to the bathroom mirror that reminds you that the eternal is more important than the temporal.
-Have someone check in with you to keep you accountable for the way you are spending your resources of time, money, and natural talents.

God, we want to honor you in our daily lives and we are sorry that so often our good intentions are left behind us in the morning hours. Forgive us and help us be the people you designed us to be. Amen.

CS