When it comes to giving or ‘investing’ do not be stingy. God does not want your tips. It was King Solomon who spoke about one man giving freely and gaining even more, while another withheld unduly, and discovered himself suddenly become poor. A generous man will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
No matter what your present circumstances are in the current financial crisis this is a day for giving and investing, but investing in the right way.
When leading Tours and Pilgrimages to The Holy Land, we have always spent a day at the Dead Sea. O, how our people have enjoyed covering themselves with Dead Sea mud, and then bathing in the therapeutic waters. The Dead Seas has such a high mineral content that even non-swimmers can stay afloat in its waters.
The reason for this is that it has no outlets, and one consequence is, it has no life. New abundant amazing life may be awaiting you, as soon as start giving and investing.
This is a time for reaching out to others who may be poorer off than you. Stocks and shares have plummeted and investments have disappeared. People who have stored up for themselves may find that there is not much left in the storehouse.
Something quite interesting happens when you stop focusing upon yourself and get involved and concerned about other people’s needs.
If you want to grow, then you have to sow. When you invest in the lives of others, God begins to look after your needs too and meet your needs in the most amazing ways. But, of course, first of all, you have to sow!
One man who was out of work and looking for a job volunteered in a soup kitchen, deciding to be the hardest and most conscientious worker there. Soon he was spotted and employed!
If the company or business where you are presently working is struggling in the current climate, pour yourself out into that business and ask God to prosper you and the business. Something amazing invariably happens.
What you do for others seldom goes unnoticed. God has a way of keeping track of what we do and what we say and the attitude we display.
Look for a work among the poor and the hungry and the needy. That will not be difficult. Invest your time and talents and gifts and money for a season, in that work. Forget your own situation, just for a short while. If that work is genuinely helping those in real need, stick at it. Persevere and watch something remarkable happening in your own circumstances.
By serving in this way it is as if we open a door for Jesus Christ to bless us.
A Roman army officer called Cornelius gave generously to those in need and prayed to God. Now, that is a most unusual scenario and setting. He and his family were among the first to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Amazing and remarkable things happened. Check up about Cornelius in Acts Chapter 10 in the New Testament. I am not making it up!
When we give to God, do not just give Him a tip as though He were a porter carrying your luggage out to the car.
This very difficult time could be the most opportunistic moment you will ever have.
Sow money. Sow time. Sow your gifts and talents freely. Sow a smile to someone who is troubled. Just do it and do not be overly surprised if you have a Cornelius experience.
Sandy Shaw
Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children’s Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.