BEYOND GIVING

I was in a church once where the pastor mentioned it was the last Sunday of the year and that meant the last chance to give so you could write it off on your income tax. I do give him credit for his honesty. And I'm sure there have been plenty who shared his opinion, but I'm not sure it was God's intention on the subject of giving.

There is just something to me about taking lumping any element of one's relationship wit the Lord into a realm of charity. At the core isn't the spiritual realm so much more than that?

I think it is very easy to do and for some I can appreciate how it is hard not to see being part of church as just another form of volunteer service. I just don't feel God looks at it that way.

At the heart of it all for me is the issue of truly embracing God's reality. To listen with the heart and be prepared to actually do what the Lord wanted.

Some will channel such listening only into a limited corridor. For them spirituality will always be centered around a given house of worship.

There are can be all kinds of legitimate reasons to do this. For one it is the prime place to worship and to interact with fellow believers.

But it can also be the place where one can be seen by others. That doesn't have anything to do with God seeing us though.

Which is far more important in my view. I really do think of that at times when I do things like post this blog.

For I do it because I know God has lead me to do so. I don't get any personal gain from the time sacrificed nor do I benefit in any way from the process.

I just give myself to it that I feel I have been faithful to his will. And that for me is an example of something beyond giving. Not boasting in my own accord, merely using it as a point to demonstrate my thoughts.

It truly is to give just to please the Lord with no strings attached. And I believe God knows when we do this willingly.

He can lead us outside places where we are just there to be seen and to place where we just are happy to do as he desires. There is just something very satisfying in the process from that kind of spiritual freedom.

It doesn't mean you will get any attention for it. Just the peace that comes from knowing you did what truly was pleasing to the Lord.

Some will never discover this joy. For them there is only a sadness in my view.