Being Faithful

If you were in church on Sunday you witnessed a young family bring their little one forward to be baptized.  This was not a decision that was made lightly.

I sat with the parents weeks before and we talked about what it means to be baptized, what it means to bring their little one for baptism and what it means to be baptized in the church.

Their decision was intentional.

We set a date. It was intentional.

On Sunday morning they dressed their sweet girl in the most marvellous baptism outfit. It was intentional.

They came forward, stood before the entire congregation. It was intentional.

None of it was by accident.

It was prayed about, thought through, and decided.

They pre-decided how they wanted to raise their child in the church.

They pre-decided that God would be the centre of their little one’s life.

They pre-decided that they would be faithful.  That is the Power of Pre-deciding! (Check out our 6 part sermon series)

So what does it mean to be faithful?

We might say that faithfulness means you don't cheat on your spouse and you don't cheat on your taxes and you try to be a good person. And all that would be true.

But when you look at how Jesus talked about faithfulness, he took a very different approach to faithfulness than what most of us would recognize.

If you do a word study on each time, Jesus mentioned the word faithful it fell into one of three categories. Whenever he talked about faithfulness He talked about:

1. How you treat people.

2. How you steward resources, and,

3. How you respond to God.

So in response to the values of Jesus on faithfulness, if we are going to be faithful, let’s consider to pre-deciding three things.

1. Being faithful in our relationships. We are going to pre-decide that every interaction is an opportunity to add value. We will be the light! (Ephesians 4:29)

2. Being faithful with our resources. Every resource is an opportunity to multiply because Jesus defines faithfulness is how we steward what he entrusts to us. (Matthew 25:15-22)

3. Being faithful in responding to God. Every prompting is an opportunity to obey God. (Acts 20:22)

Like the young family on Sunday, let’s pre-decide to be faithful!

Inspiring generosity

I know someone who is exceedingly generous. Do you have someone like that in your life?  A person or people who will stop whatever they are doing to be with you, to support you physically, mentally, financially? They go above and beyond and never count the cost?  What I have learned through my friend is that generosity has little to do with money and everything to do with heart.

This person has been through difficult times and great times; times when they were scraping money together to pay their bills and times when money was flowing. But here is the thing, you’d never know if money was tight or not because they show generosity consistently.  Honestly, it is both humbling and inspiring. 

So what’s their secret?

As I have watched them, I see them live out what I read in Scripture , like in The Parable of the Good Samaritan. They don’t just do the bare minimum or what is required, they give more than required.The bible talks a lot about generosity:

The Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)

Generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity. (Isaiah 32:8)

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (Hebrews 13:16)

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. (Malachi 3:10)

One person gives freely, yet gains even more;
    another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

A generous person will prosper;
    whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.  (Proverbs 11.24-25)

The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor. (Proverb 28:27)

Of course God was the first and most generous Giver of all.

God has given generous acceptance, love and forgiveness. Every moment we are alive is a gift from our generous Creator.

God went above and beyond anything we could have imagined: “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NIV)

God loved people so much that God gave. God gave God’s best. God gave their Son for you and for me. This act of generosity began in the heart of God first.

God loved so God gave.

And it begins in our heart first as well.  Generosity has little to do with money and everything to do with our faith in God.  As our hearts open to God, so does our desire to give to others because we have faith that the Ultimate Giver will provide for all our needs.

Perhaps this is the secret to inspiring generosity!

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Winston Churchill

God First.

Many years ago, someone I respect greatly shared with me how they started each and every day.

They told me that as they roused from their sleep they immediately began their conversation with God.  They thanked God each and every morning for the gift of of a new day and prepared their heart and mind to hear from God about the day ahead. As they continued to talk to God they did a few stretches, leg lifts, and sit ups — all before their feet even touch the floor!

They told me, “My day needs to start with God first.”

I love that, ‘God first’. In fact that has now become my morning routine too!

Our lives are full and busy and there are days when we need a little more time to get it all done. But when you really stop to think about it, do the things that take up so much of our time truly matter?

Will the Lord say to us, “I wish you had spent a little more time scrolling through Instagram? or, “I really wish you had kept a cleaner house,” or “You needed more meetings like that one!” Really?? I don’t think so. I think the Lord not only wants time with us but that our focus should be on seeking God first.

You’d think as believers keeping God first would happen automatically but you and I both know that this world is full of distractions.

Scripture reminds us over and over again that seeking God first should be our priority: 

1. “You shall have no other gods before me. (Ex. 20:3).

2. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and God will make your paths straight. (Prov. 3:5-6).

3. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matt 6:33).

4. “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment (Matt. 22:37-38).

When we are seeking God first, we stay focused on God’s purpose for us. We trust God to take care of us.

As we seek God first, watch and see how faithful God truly is!