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Deciding In Your Heart
Brian Mashburn
April 25, 2010
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Giving Wisely
I heard a commentator on the news suggest that when you hear any political or social organization use the phrase “freedom of religion”, as it’s agenda. “It usually means that it is fighting for “freedom from religion”.
Likewise, when I find myself using phrases like “I need to give wisely” or “I’m responsible for being a good steward,” it often seems like I’m attempting to justify not giving.
I don’t plan on throwing responsibility and wisdom out the window, but I never find Jesus honoring a “wise” giver. He just honors givers.
As a matter of fact, the most honored was a widow lady who “irresponsibly” gave everything she had. And not to some well-researched, “I-know-right-where-this-is-going” cause that was guaranteed to produce Kingdom results. She put it in the “temple treasury”. Didn’t she know that the temple was a den of thieves? Should she have checked the budget to make sure she was being a good steward of her giving before she sacrificed like this?
Jesus wasn’t honoring her for her wise giving. He wasn’t honoring her for responsible stewardship. He was honoring her because she was a giver.
The Southwest church, I believe, will be honored by Jesus in the same way. I am constantly amazed at how sacrificial, selfless, and hope-full you people are as you give. Yesterday, for example, the Family Service Center just opened its doors and gave away everything that has been stored up to anyone who needed it. We didn’t check their financial statements or make sure they didn’t just drag something off to put in a garage sale to support their drug habit. We just gave. Why? To be givers.
That’s the heart behind pulling together to stock our Family Service Center. You Christ-followers give money, give time, give stuff, bring needs, bring people, and point people our way, in order for us to corporately be a family of “givers”. Thank you.
The people over our corporate giving are some of the most diligent, responsible, compassionate stewards I know, so don’t worry about that when you give today to support our Family Service Center. Like the widow, let’s just be givers.