This month brought me into my seventh year of teaching !!! Whew hoo !!! Happy Teacherversary to Me !!!
As I reflect on my seven years of teaching I thought about how this job requires a lot of giving. Giving your time, your energy, your talents, and your money as well but the impact that I am making will be so worth it.
It has truly been a blessing to give and help so many little people throughout my career. God has taught me so many lessons throughout my teaching career, between teaching 4 years of 2nd grade and 3 years of 1st grade,and one of the biggest being the power that comes through GIVING.
Giving is such a powerful thing. Even our whole existence and purpose of being here on this Earth is connected to giving.
For God did not put us on this Earth to be selfish, He put us on this Earth to give.
The whole reason God came down in human form through Jesus to this Earth was to GIVE. He gave his life for our sins so we could have a chance at everlasting life !!!
In the same manner, may we as believers choose to give more and remember the power that comes through it.
HERE ARE 4 REMINDERS ON THE POWER THAT COMES THROUGH GIVING :
1. GIVING ALLOWS GOD TO USE YOU TO BLESS OTHERS
Are you giving more to yourself or to others ?
1st Corinthians 12:7 states "A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other."
God did not give us gifts, talents, money, or time to keep to ourselves. He gave us each of these things with the idea of others in mind.
As humans, we all have moments in our lives where we are in need of help, and God will sometimes use other people to help meet those needs. But it's hard for God to meet those needs if we are so caught up in ourselves.
There is someone out there right now waiting on you to use your gift but it's up to you to make yourself available to God so He can use your gift.
2. GIVING BUILDS YOUR FAITH IN GOD
Are you allowing fear or faith to dictate your giving ?
Malachi 3:10 states, " Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!"
This scripture talks about tithing and how God approaches his servant with a command to give to help his church. God then follows with a promise to pour out many blessings and then ends with saying "put Him to the test".
I believe God said that last statement with great intentionality in knowing that giving can be a great test of faith sometimes. God knows how fear can easily rise up in us sometimes when it comes to giving because we don't always see the results of our giving immediately.
It's not meant for us to get caught up in the outcome of our giving but get caught up in the outcome of our God.
It's important to remember in the moments where fear may creep in and try to motivate us with all these reasons and excuses on why we can't give, that it's not ours to give.
May we remember to have faith and believe that everything that we give will be returned in even greater blessings by our God. For our God is the creator of the heavens and the Earth. Our God owns a 1000 cattle on a 1000 hills. Our God owns all the silver and gold so we have no reason to fear.
Get rid of the expectation of man to return to you what you have given, and have faith and be expectant of God to give back to you instead.
3. GIVING MAKES ROOM FOR YOU TO RECEIVE MORE FROM GOD
Are you making room for God to give you more ?
Luke 6:38 states, "Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
This scripture is a great depiction of what happens when we give.
Giving makes more room for God to give to us.
For example, when your closet is full of clothes, it's hard to make room to add more clothes. You would have to literally take some of those clothes out to receive new things.
In this same way, may we give as much as we can so we can receive new blessings, new opportunities and more from God. If you would like to read more on this check out my blog "Making Room for God to Become Closet Space Ready ".
Another great passage of scripture to read that talks about how giving makes more room for you to receive is "The Parable of The Three Servants". It talks about three men that were all given talents and what happened to those whom chose to use those talents vs. those whom chose to keep it to themselves. Take some time to read it when you can.
4. GIVING IS A FORM OF WORSHIP TO GOD
Do you see giving as a form of worship ?
" Romans 12:1 states, And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him."
Isn't it beautiful to know that we serve a God that views our bodies as gifts to His kingdom. This scripture talks about how our bodies are a living and holy sacrifice. Sacrifices are not easy to give so it's important to remember that you are doing it for Him in those moments where giving can seem challenging or overwhelming.
We must remember we were not put on this Earth for our own desires but for His desires for us. May we choose to go to Him about the gifts He has given us and the best way to use those gifts.
I pray this blog has blessed you and encouraged you to give more of yourself so you can be used by God.
A Prayer to Be Used By God
Father God thank you for creating me to give.
Thank you for depositing within me gifts and talents to be used for your kingdom.
Father God help me know, see, and recognize those gifts and talents you have deposited within me.
Father God help me know how to best use these gifts and talents for your glory.
Father God help, give me divine instruction and insight on the best way to build and sharpen these gifts.
Lord I just want to be used by you.
In Jesus Name
Amen.
Comentários