More Than All: Giving to God's Glory

In their book, When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor... and Yourself, Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert discuss different types of poverty, and assert that, because of the Fall of mankind, we all find ourselves in a state of poverty. We can be impoverished spiritually, at odds with the God who created us. We can be impoverished with regard to ourselves, "Poverty of Being": we do not see ourselves as God intends. We might possess a "Poverty of Community": we do not see others as God sees them. Lastly, we may be impoverished with regard to the rest of creation, those things we are all given to steward: animals, flora and fauna, our entire planet (John Stott, in his book Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling, referred to this as "Creation Care"). Point being, in our Western world, we tend to look at poverty as those things we lack financially; but there are many more layers to this onion we call "need."

Jesus called His disciples and by extension, each one of us, to notice a widow (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4). She gave two small coins in contrast to the larger amounts given by others who could well afford to do so. Jesus says she "put in more than all." Did He mean more than the others who entered the temple before her? more than the others that day? I think He meant more than anyone and everyone combined --more than all, Jesus said. This woman gave her utmost, "all she had to live on," some translations read. Think of what those two small coins may have represented! They may surely have meant bread to her, but what if they meant more? What if the "all she had to live on," the "all" represented by those two small coins, was more abstract, like hope? We think hope comes from having all our bills paid, or a little bit of savings in the bank; we breathe a sigh of relief and allow ourselves to embrace the possibility of a home improvement project or a weekend getaway --hope! Rather than hope in those things, she released all her hope to the One who offers to do exceedingly abundantly above, who gives life in abundance? Heavenly Father, I am all Yours!

What if giving up those two small coins meant not paying her mortgage? What if she was choosing instead to dwell in the secret place of the Most High, to put herself completely in the care of the Holy Spirit and go wherever He led? to give up her home and those familiar things, and start anew in a place God had for her? to no longer see herself as "just a widow," but see herself as an ambassador of Christ? I'm not sure whoever started the rumor that God "would never allow" you to lose your home or "would never allow" the bank to repo your car, but God will do whatever it takes to bring glory to Himself and good to His children. And maybe this widow was all in: Mould me! Make me! Do something radical with these two small coins! Maybe it was this Poverty of Being, a poverty she trusted God would eradicate through Messiah, that was the impetus for her gift.

What if giving those two coins meant going to debtors' prison where she could share the Good News of Jesus with those spiritually impoverished? Perhaps this was the poverty she gave out of, Poverty of Community. What if she'd previously looked down on those in prison? God, whatever You do, just don't ask me to minister to the lawless! But now, giving out of her poverty, she could love them as Jesus loves. 

What if giving those two small coins meant she would no longer budget her finances for a medical treatment that harvested rare plants to cure her? What if she chose to no longer deplete natural resources for the sake of treating her hair loss or her pain or her swollen feet? What if she was giving out of a desire to rightly steward God's creation?

Absent the redemptive, resurrectionary, renewing work of Jesus at the cross, every one of us is --all of Creation is! --impoverished in some way. In Him, we have all we need; we are made whole. How much are you willing to give?

Meditating on God's Word

Just wanted to pop in and share this with you today. If you're not meditating on the Word of God, you're missing the blessing (Josh. 1:8; Psalm 1:1-2). This is a great article by Sarah E. Fisher (author of hebrewwordlessons.com) on the meaning of hagah, meditation:

Hagah: The Noisy MEDITATION – Hebrew Word Lessons

Giving God His Due: Build a Home

I was standing in the yard waiting for Dora the Explorer to do her nightly business when I looked toward our back door, the glow from the kitchen light beckoning. To me it is a guidepost toward home. To me it is a beacon of rest, laughter, family, security, sustenance, comfort --the list goes on and on, because the concept of home is not restricted by what we can see through a door. Home is subjective, personal, built by years of traditions, physical labor, compromise, and love. The home Scott and I have built does not, will not mean the same thing to you unless it becomes your home as well, unless you spend much time here, joining in our traditions or sharing your own with us, putting in the work, making concessions and receiving them, and loving as we love you. Home, when shared prodigally but appropriately is exponentially made better.

In this world, Scott is my home. Wherever he is, that's where my heart is. It's not mere statistics, however; he is my home not only because our names are listed together on our marriage license or mortgage, but because of time and traditions, work and compromise, and most of all, love. By sharing those things together, we have created a home within one another, a home that is in many ways duplicated and reflected in our home of brick and mortar, the home that we share with others. He is not simply someone I hang out with, and our home is not just a place to crash. I am not simply someone to help him remain organized any more than our home is just a place to store our stuff. The home we share in one another is exponentially made better when we share it prodigally but appropriately with others.

Dr. Tina Schermer Sellers in her book, God, Sex, and the Conservative Church, talks about the physical relationship God reserved for a husband and his wife. The expression "making love" has to do with the fact that as a couple experiences intimacy, their bond is being strengthened physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Love, more love, a deeper love, a better love is being made. And though their particular bond is exclusive to them, the love they make is used to produce children and is taken with them as they go out into the world through appropriate, prodigally loving interactions with others. 

When we talk about being ambassadors for Christ, when we understand we are salt and light to the world, when we are commissioned to make disciples, the message is that we are to be portable. We are to be taking our "home" on the road, so to speak. Those things that give us roots, and at the same time give us wings --the courage, boldness, and freedom-- to do incredible things for humanity are to be shared appropriately and prodigally with others. The comfort we receive on our worst days from those we love is to be passed on to others. The excitement as we sit on the edge of our seats watching our children open Christmas gifts is meant to be shared with the world. The security that typically goes unappreciated as we turn out the lights and head up to bed, is a security we should seek to provide in all our relationships. But how is this possible? What does appropriate and prodigal sharing look like? It looks like Jesus, the love and peace and joy we experience in Jesus, designed to be spread throughout all the world. In our marriages, wives submit to and respect their husbands; husbands love their wives as Christ loves the Church. In our friendships and work relationships, we love others as Christ has loved us, and we lovingly urge them to seek reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ. In our homes, we serve one another and together serve the Lord. In our bodies, we revere them as God's temple, the epicenter of His presence in this world. We set godly boundaries, hold others accountable, teach, train, comfort, and love lavishly (Proverbs 27:6; Colossians 3:12-17; Titus 2:11-14). And through all of this "home-making," we bring glory to the God who began it all, who created a temporary home for us here and who prepares a place for us to live with Him in eternity, Home in the truest sense of the word.