E Devotion 10.19.16

E Devotion October 19

… give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over… Luke 6:38

A number of years ago I was serving a congregation in the Pacific Northwest. We were doing well but hit a rough patch where the giving lagged behind our spending plan. This was understandable because the local economy had taken a major hit when a large manufacturing firm closed its doors. The leadership of that congregation and I were working to bring spending into line with the adjusted giving when a major disaster occurred in the southern United States. This was a devastating flood that wiped out a considerable number of homes and caused many deaths. The national appeal was great. Then our Lutheran churches got involved nationally and I was asked if we could have a special offering taken to help others in their time of need. I prayed over it and, after discussion with our leaders, we decided to offer our congregation members the opportunity to give.

The results were astonishing. First, the giving to that real need was larger than any of us expected. Second, the giving to our congregation turned around and grew! Instead of taking money away from our church, the appeal actually added to our revenues!

And I thought of this teaching of Jesus.

We live in a world of competing needs. I understand that. But when a very real crisis of devastating proportion occurs, how can we refuse the opportunity to give? Jesus had a world-view of abundance: what we give is multiplied by God. That’s what we discovered in that experience at that church. You can’t out-give God. And the promise in this teaching of Jesus is real.

Of course, we are to exercise good judgment. Of course, we are to manage our resources wisely. But when our hearts are moved to give, the Holy Spirit is up to something and we need to pay attention to the work of the Spirit. Generosity births greater giving as we are blessed. Thanks be to God!