A puritan man sat at his supper table. All he had was a couple of pieces of bread and a cup of water. And he prayed, “all this…and Jesus too?”
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about Kingdomnomics. We’ve been learning to see money from God’s point of view. We’ve learned that God owns everything. We’ve learned that we must manage God’s trust fund. We’ve learned that stewardship needs constant intention. But while we’ve talked a lot about money, this conversation has been rooted in the Gospel.
There are many powerful Scriptures about stewardship, perhaps none more powerful that 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. But the climatic thought to this profound teaching on stewardship is this: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.” (2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV). When God sought to demonstrate His love, He gave. Jesus came to us, and He took our sins for us. He died for us, because God could not imagine heaven without us.
When we’re overwhelmed with Jesus, when we just can’t stop being grateful for Jesus, when Jesus is our treasure, we will manage all our other treasures differently. The grace of giving is rooted in the giving of grace.
In the coming weeks and months, you will be tempted, perhaps like never before, to hoard. And when those moments come, I hope you’ll remember that God created us, not just to be recipients of His grace, but to be participants in His gracious mission to the world. In the limited commission, Jesus tells his disciples in Matthew 10:8, “Freely you have received, freely give.” Remember, this is our moment to shine the light of Jesus Christ. I can’t wait to see what God does in you and through you!
-Mike Johnson