Love, Lock & Live

Love, Lock & Live. The 3 core values of my church....and they are challenging to say the least. Love God and love others. Lock Arms. And Live openhandedly.

Today's service was about the various motivations behind our giving, whether it be of our time, talents or treasures. We were invited to inspect our hearts and what motivates us to be generous. There are 3 incentives that typically influence us to give.

1. Giving out of duty.
2. Giving to get something back.
3. Giving out of love.

Giving out of duty is rooted in guilt and shame, which is what we often feel when we fail to give. It isn't motivated by a pure desire to do it for others, rather out of a sense of obligation to others.

As my pastor said, oftentimes when we pry open our fingers to live openhandedly toward others, we are hoping God will put something in our hand to replace it. And He may do that, but the motive there is not giving out of love but rather giving out of expectation.

While giving for either of these reasons is better then not giving at all...there is a far greater reason for giving of ourselves. Love. If we are motivated to give when there is no guilt, shame, obligation or expectation then we are free to give out of a pure care, concern, selflessness and love.

When we do so, we do reap treasures but they are spiritual. We die to self and live for God.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

I thank God today that I sit under the wonderful covering of an imperfect pastor who challenges us, while also being challenged himself. I thank God that His call to love Him and love others, causes us to be confronted with our deepest and worst enemy...ourselves. God, please change my heart so that I can take hold of that which is truly life.