Serve God By Serving Others

God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessings.”  1 Peter 4:10

Before you were born, God decided in advance what contribution he wanted you to make with your life. Ephesians 2:10 says, “God has made us what we are. He has created us in Christ Jesus to live lives filled with good works that he has prepared for us to do”.

God wants you to serve him on earth. He didn’t put you here just to take up space, use resources, and die. He put you here to make the world a better place, to make a unique contribution, and to serve him with the shape that he gave you.

Nobody else can be you. If you don’t serve God the way he planned for you, then the world misses that part of the puzzle.

Another name for good works is “ministry.” Anytime you use your talents and abilities to help someone, you are ministering to them. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:10 in The Living Bible paraphrase, “God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessings.”

You know those talents that you may have been trying to use for your benefit? They’re actually not just for you. God gave you your talents and skills and abilities for the benefit of other people.

God wired the universe so that we would need each other. Nobody’s got it all together but we don’t have to! We were created to depend on each other and benefit from each other’s gifts.

When you get to heaven, you’re going to serve God forever, so he wants you to practice now.

On earth it’s impossible to serve God directly. The only way you can serve God now is by serving other people. That means anytime you help someone, it’s like you’re doing it for him. You’re practicing on earth what you’re going to do in heaven.

Do you want to serve God well? Start practicing now by serving others.

Putting God First In All Things

The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives.” Deuteronomy 14:23

God often blesses the areas of our lives where we put him first. That’s why, when it comes to finances, he calls us to put him first with our money. This is the principle of tithing: Giving the first 10 percent of your income back to God.

The Bible provides a framework for understanding tithing. Four passages explain its promise, purpose, place, and day.

Proverbs 3:9-10 gives the promise about tithing: “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” (NIV).When we honor God with the first part of our income, we can trust him to provide for our needs.

Why does God tell us to tithe? Deuteronomy 14:23 says in The Living Bible paraphrase, “The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives” (emphasis added). God doesn’t need your money, but he wants what it represents: your heart. He wants you to trust him.

Where should you tithe? Do you tithe to your local food pantry? Or do you tithe to your brother who’s been out of work for three years? No, that’s charity. Tithing isn’t charity; it’s an act of worship. It goes to God.

Malachi 3:10 says, “‘Bring to the storehouse a full tenth of what you earn . . . Test me in this,’ says the LORD All-Powerful. ‘I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour out all the blessings you need’”. The storehouse is the temple, or the place where you worship God.

When are you supposed to tithe? The Bible points to the first day of the week as a pattern. First Corinthians 16:2 says “On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned” (NLT). When you give to God on the first day of the week, during the first part of your day, and from the first part of your money, you’re declaring, “You’re really number one in my life.”

Notice that the verse says to “put aside.” Tithing should not be an impulsive thing. You’ve got to plan for it so that you are honoring God’s plan and purpose for tithing.

As you put God first and trust him with your finances, you’ll discover that he is faithful to keep his promises and care for your needs.

The Best Investments Are In Eternity

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

You are going to enjoy forever what you invest in heaven, and you invest in heaven every time you use money for good.

Yesterday we talked about investing in eternity by using your money to grow your character, to encourage fellowship in the body of Christ, and to serve others in need. There are two more funds that you should invest in so that you can yield eternal dividends in heaven.

God’s Global Fund. This is when you use your money to share the Good News and bring people to Jesus. Luke 16:9 says, “Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings”.

Is this verse saying that you can buy friends? Not at all. It means that God wants you to invest in things that help get people into heaven so that when you get to heaven, they will welcome you there.

It’s the greatest investment of your life. Is anybody going to be in heaven because of you? 

God’s Treasury Fund. This is when you give money to God as an act of worship.

God’s promise in The Living Bible paraphrase of Proverbs 3:9-10 says this: “Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will fill your barns with wheat and barley and overflow your wine vats with the finest wines.” The “first part of all your income” is your tithe the 10 percent of your earnings that you give to God through your church.

The Bible says that wherever your treasure is, your heart will also be there. If what’s most important to you are the things of this earth, then every day you are moving further away from your treasure because every day you are here on earth, you’ve got one less day to invest in eternity. You’re moving further and further away from the things you’re going to leave behind.

But if you’re investing in God’s funds and using your money to serve God’s purposes, then you’re storing up treasure in heaven every day. You’re getting closer and closer to your treasure instead of further away.

Missionary Jim Elliot once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

How will you show God that you are ready to start using your money to invest in eternity?

God’s Investment Funds Last Forever

They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.” 1 Timothy 6:18-19

You are going to enjoy forever what you invest in heaven, and you invest in heaven every time you use money for good.

The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:18-19, “They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life”

So what’s the best way to store up your treasure in heaven? Any financial advisor will tell you not to put all your eggs in one basket. Instead, you put your money into different funds for a balanced portfolio.

Today and tomorrow, we’re going to look at five different “funds” you can invest in for eternity. These funds are proven. They have a track record. They’re protected. They are risk-free. And they yield enormous dividends.

God’s Growth Fund. This is any time you invest in something that is going to grow your character. Proverbs 10:16 says, “The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin”

You enhance your life with your money when you use it to grow spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally. When you use money to develop your skills and become mature, you are investing in eternity.

God’s Mutual Fund. This is every time you use money to encourage fellowship and build relationships with other believers. Romans 12:13 says, “When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality” 

Why does God want you to use some of your money to show love to other believers? There are three reasons: It proves that you’re in God’s family. It creates unity. And it’s a witness to unbelievers.

God’s Service Fund. This is when you invest in eternity by using money to serve others. God wants you to take some of your money and use it to help people who are in need.

Proverbs 11:24 says, “One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor”. In other words, the more you help others, the more God blesses you. Why? Because God is a giver. He is generous, and he wants you to become like him.

You’ll find yourself becoming more and more like God as you invest in your character, other believers, and people in need.

Reasons Not To Worry About Money

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”Philippians 4:19

You can be a hero one day and a zero the next day, a millionaire one day and bankrupt the next. No matter how much you make or how much you save, finances are an uncertain part of life.

So you worry. But what does the Bible say about worrying over money?

1. It’s unreasonable. Matthew 6:25 says, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” . You’re going to have fears in life, but you don’t need to fear a lack of finances. Even bankruptcy does not have to defeat you. Life is more than just the accumulation of things. Be concerned about what’s truly important.

2. It’s unnatural. Jesus reminded people that there’s no need for God’s creation to worry: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26).

3. It’s unnecessary. Financial fears come from a misunderstanding about God and what he’s promised to do for you. He’s assumed responsibility for your needs. Jesus said, “See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field . . . will he not much more clothe you you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28-30). God is your Father; you are his child. He knows what you need better than you do and will provide for you in ways you may not expect.

When you worry, you’re trying to play God. You’re assuming responsibility for something that God has said he will take care of. Paul says in Philippians 4:19, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus”.

God knows what’s going on in your life and in your wallet. He knows all your needs even before you ask. And you can trust him to take care of you.

God Is Looking At Your Heart

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.’” 2 Corinthians 9:7

When it comes to giving, God is much more interested in what’s in your heart than what’s in your wallet. You may think you don’t have a lot to give. But what he really wants is your willingness not your wealth.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9:7, “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully’”. God is interested in your heart in giving because your heart reflects him. He wants you to grow to be more like him and reflect a heart of generosity.

This verse offers four key heart attitudes you should have when you give.

1. Give thoughtfully. Don’t give impulsively. The most spiritual kind of giving is when you think about it, pray about it, and then make up your mind about it. God wants your giving to be important and meaningful in your life so he wants you to plan for it.

2. Give enthusiastically. Don’t just think, “I have to give.” Give because you know God’s going to do something big in your heart when you become a generous person.

3. Give voluntarily. Any time someone pressures you to give, don’t do it. God’s not going to bless that kind of giving anyway. But when you feel God challenging you to give, that’s the time to give generously and voluntarily.

4. Give cheerfully. Give with joy! One of the Greek words for “offering” has the same root as the word “hilarious.” God wants you to enjoy giving to him and to others.

Next time you’re considering whether to give or how much to give, remember that God’s greatest concern is your heart. When you give thoughtfully, enthusiastically, voluntarily, and cheerfully, then you know that’s a gift God will bless!

The Loves Of God

“God loves us.” Three little monosyllabic words, but how weighty they are with significant meaning, that the great God whom the heavens of heavens cannot contain should love us. We are moved when a dog loves us, or when a baby loves us, or when a friend loves us; how much infinitely more meaningful to say that God loves us.

   In this big, vast world, we are so small, so tiny. Even in this city, we’re a cipher; we are like a candlefly that dies before the morning sun. We are like an autumn leaf that falls unobserved to the ground. Our very planet is a speck in this infinitude of universe. How much smaller our little inconsequential lives; yet the revelation says in the Book that God loves us. This is a marvel of condescension, that the great Almighty should pour upon us His personal love and affection.

   If there are two noblemen, they respect one another. They are wealthy, they are peers; it is quite usual and expected. But if a nobleman of the royal house, of the royal blood, in his wealth and affluence were to pour out his love upon a poor, crippled peasant, and care for him, and love him, and comfort him, and encourage him, be surety for him, how wonderful, how magnificent! And yet that would be a small thing compared to the condescension of the Lord God of the heaven of heavens, who pours out His abounding love upon us; that the infinite should love the finite, that the holy and the pure should love the unlovely and the impure. It is a marvel of condescension.

   It is more marvelous still when we think that He loves us in our sin and in our human frailty. The Lord looks down upon us with compassion and pity and mercy. As He said in Ezekiel, “As I live, saith the Lord—as I live, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye . . . for why will ye die?” [Ezekiel 33:11]. Why will you die when the crimson cross is so nearby, when the love of God is poured out without measure upon us in pity and compassion? God loves us, and He sent His Son to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

A Good Steward Keeps Good Records

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.”  Proverbs 21:5

If you want to be financially strong, you need to start writing down what you spend until you know where all your money is going. This is the principle of accounting. You’ve got to keep track of your finances!

Have you ever made it to the end of the month and wondered, “Where did all my money go?” Ignorance of your financial condition plus easy credit equals disaster.

You’ve probably heard this phrase: “Money talks.” It does not. It just walks away quietly, and it doesn’t tell you where it’s going. To know what you’re spending your money on, you have to keep good records.

Proverbs 21:5 says, “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity”

When it comes to your finances, you need to keep good records of four things: what you own, what you owe, what you earn, and where it’s going. This kind of record-keeping is the framework for budgeting.

There are several ways to budget, and you need to figure out which one is best for you. You need to get online, get to your bank, get to your accountant’s office, get into your books—whatever it takes for you to get on track and understand your money so that it works for you and not against you.

Proverbs 23:5 says, “Your money can be gone in a flash, as if it had grown wings and flown away like an eagle”. That’s a pretty descriptive picture. If you don’t know where your money is going, it’s just going to fly away like an eagle. Fortunately, for those of us in the US, our government is kind enough to remind us of this by putting an eagle on every dollar bill!

The financial plan that God blesses starts with recognizing that he is your source of income and your security. Then, by keeping good records, you can more easily see how God is providing for you and blessing your good stewardship of his gifts.

It’s Time To Plant!

Let us not become tired of doing good; for if we do not give up, the time will come when we will reap the harvest.” Galatians 6:9

The time to start planting is now.

I talk to people all the time who say, “One of these days, I’m going to . . . ” They promise to serve more or give more when they retire, or when they get a raise one of these days. 

But “one of these days” is none of these days. You can’t wait for things to get better; you need to start planting now. Why? Because the sooner you plant, the longer you’re going to enjoy the harvest in your life.

But the harvest is not always going to come in your expected timeframe. There’s always a delay between sowing and reaping. You plant in one season, and you harvest in another.

You have to be patient and not give up!

This is one of the principles that the kingdom of God operates on. In Mark 4:26-28, Jesus says, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head”.

The results will come, but they will come slowly and as part of a process. And because it takes time, you have to choose to be patient: “Let us not become tired of doing good; for if we do not give up, the time will come when we will reap the harvest” (Galatians 6:9).

Choose to forget about last year’s crop failure. Instead, start focusing on the long-term harvest in your life. If you’re in financial difficulty, you didn’t get that way overnight. You took years to mess things up, and it’s going to take a while to put things back together. There is a time delay between sowing and reaping.

The Bible says in Psalm 126:5-6, “Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest”

What loss have you been grieving over? Maybe you’ve lost your job. Maybe you’ve lost your health. Maybe you’ve lost a loved one. Maybe you’ve lost your savings. Maybe you’ve lost half of your retirement in the last few years. Maybe you’ve lost your dream.

Mourning is okay; moaning is not. Instead of moaning, get moving!

Today is the day to plant the seed.

You Often Reap More Than You Sow

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

If a farmer goes out with a trailer load of beans and plants them in a barren field, what fruit does he expect to bear? Watermelon? Cucumbers? No, he’s going to get beans. He doesn’t doubt or question that outcome, because whatever you plant is what you’re going to get back.

This is the law of reproduction, and it applies to every single area of your life, especially your finances. Another way to explain the law of reproduction is this: You reap what you sow.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver”.

This can work either positively or negatively in your life. If you’re planting seeds of kindness, people will be kind to you. If you forgive others, they will be forgiving of you. If you’re generous, people will show generosity to you.

But if you are angry all the time, people will respond in anger. If you cheat other people, people are going to cheat you. If you gossip about other people, guess what? People are going to gossip about you.

The law of reproduction says that you reap what you sow. But the principle of multiplication says that you also always reap more than you sow.

When you put one kernel of corn in the ground, you don’t get one kernel of corn back. You get a cornstalk with multiple ears and hundreds of kernels. This is the exponential power that God has established in the universe. You always get more out of it than you put into it.

It’s why, when people verbally attack me, I never attack in return. Why? I don’t want to get caught in the chain. No matter what anyone says to me, I don’t want to say anything bad back to them because, if I do, I’m going to reap more than I sowed. Instead, I choose to do the exact opposite of what they’ve done to me. I choose to bless them and pray for them. Why? Because that’s what I want to receive, and I always reap more than I sow.

The Message paraphrase says, “The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller” (Proverbs 11:24).