Growth in Giving - Day 31

September 25, 2012

"The generous soul will itself be made prosperous and the one freely watering others will himself also be freely watered."  Proverbs 11:25

I went to a Willow Creek seminar several years ago and was struck by this analongy.  If you hold on to what you have, your hands are in a closed position and you cannot receive the generosity of a loving God.  But if you open your hands, trust in Him and let go of your worldly security blanket, you will be open to God's gifts.  Try it - close your hands into a fist and see what can penetrate.  Not much.  Now open them and feel the Spirit flowing through you fingers.

The catch to this verse is to give freely, but be careful not to give because you expect to receive.  When we give generously of our time and resources, we should expect nothing in return.  For me, giving just feels good.

In our last capital campaign, hundreds pledged and gave, and we have seen the physical result - a beautiful new Community Life Center.  Now we need to fill that center and our church with a new vision.  Harder to see, yes, not brick and mortar, but it will feel just as good.

This has been my church for over 30 years and I have never been prouder of my church family than I am today.  We have a synergy and commitment that I am confident will make this next campaign even more successful, and then we'll move on again, growing in God's grace.

Dear God, please bless this St. Stephen community as we embark on yet another step in our journey of faith.  Let us STAND UP IN FAITH and be thankful for all the blessings you give us every day.  Amen