Category: Thoughts and Meditations

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” – 2 Corinthians 9:6

While Paul is specifically talking about giving financially to support God’s work, this principle applies equally well to all of our spiritual habits. If we’re stingy toward God with our time, energy, emotion, and devotion we close ourselves off to the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in us. On the other hand, if we throw ourselves into joyful worship, deep Bible study, extended prayer time, committed service, sacrificial giving, eager evangelism, and genuine fellowship with other believers, we will reap enormous blessings of spiritual growth!

When we devote ourselves to drawing near to God and become more like Jesus in the power of His Spirit, we will achieve those goals in time. We will experience closeness to our Creator and be increasingly transformed into the likeness of His Son. When we hold ourselves back, budgeting out the limited portion of time and energy we’re willing to give God, then we will experience little of the abundant life Jesus came to give us. That’s the Law of Sowing and Reaping.

What are you sowing for the Lord? What’s your level of investment in Kingdom living? How generous are you toward God with your time? With your talent and energy? With your earthly treasure? Are you measured? Have you put God on a tight budget? If so, how’s that working out for you???

If you’ve been listening to the world’s advice about how to keep more time and energy for yourself rather than giving it to the Lord, try accepting Jesus’ invitation to deny yourself, take up your cross, and #FollowJesus. You will likely discover an amazing crop of blessings when you do! If you already have, why don’t you share your story in the comments…

“But with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.”
– Isaiah 11:4

Isaiah described the coming of Jesus centuries before He stepped out of heaven to be born in Bethlehem and thousands of years before His return in glory. Isaiah described the nature of Christ’s coming, eternal Kingdom. It will be a Kingdom of power – the power of His Word. Power beyond anything we can possibly imagine. Forget nuclear weapons – His spoken word is the rod of His mouth with which Jesus will strike the earth! That’s the power by which our triumphant Lord will wipe out the wicked when He returns!

However, it’s also a Kingdom of tough and tender justice, concerned with the poor and oppressed. King Jesus will justly judge in favor of those who are downtrodden and unable to defend themselves against the systems and structures of our fallen world. He will treat the poor righteously rather than taking advantage of them as so many do today. It will be truly glorious when King Jesus returns!

In the meantime…we who follow Jesus SHOULD embody those same values because He is already King on His throne in heaven. As citizens of His Kingdom, we must be concerned for the poor. We must practice justice toward the downtrodden and defenseless, knowing that we are serving King Jesus when we do. We must live in obedience to His awesome, powerful Word, knowing that His Word is life to us and death to His enemies. Meditate today on what it would look like to fully live your life as a citizen of THIS king’s present and future Kingdom. What should you do differently – in thought, word, and action – to more fully #FollowJesus?

“But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.” – 2 Corinthians 8:8

Giving financially to the work of God’s Kingdom in your community and around the world is an “act of grace”. What does that mean? It doesn’t mean that giving financially earns you favor with God. That’s the exact opposite of what grace means! Rather, Paul says that as you give sacrificially and joyfully to the accomplishment of God’s will on earth, the act and attitude of sacrifice helps you draw nearer to God. Giving aligns your heart to His will as you learn to care about what He cares about. This is because we naturally grow in our love for the things we choose to support financially. Giving teaches you to live by faith in your Provider as you release your “control” over the money God has entrusted to you. Giving expands your mind to think about things vastly bigger than yourself and your immediate financial need. Giving also sets you free from bondage to material things.

If you’re reading this in the West, there’s a very good chance that you’re blessed with far more resources than the overwhelming majority of Christians who’ve ever lived on earth! We also live in a time in which it’s easier than ever to instantly make a Kingdom impact on people’s lives from our nearest neighbors to the farthest ends of the earth. Followers of Jesus can do more to relieve spiritual and physical bondage, poverty, suffering, and deprivation in the name of Jesus than ever before. Are we willing to make the sacrifices to do that?

Heed Paul’s exhortation and pray about how you can excel in the grace of making financial sacrifices to help God’s Kingdom to come and God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Pray about ways God may be calling you to get more deeply involved in global efforts to introduce people to Jesus, relieve poverty, provide access to safe food and water, bless your community, bless the nations, and accomplish the work of your local church. Pray, then excel in this act of grace, preparing yourself to experience even greater joy in Christ! #FollowJesus

“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” – 2 Corinthians 7:10

For most people, there are plenty of times when we feel bad for things we’ve said or done. The question is, what do we do with that guilt, shame, regret, or sorrow? Do we remain stuck in it? Do we give up and embrace it? Do we double down on doing more of what got us into that state? Or do we repent of it – being genuinely sorry and letting everyone involved know that we are sorry and resolved to change our ways?

That’s what Paul’s talking about here. He’d written a sharp letter to his Corinthian friends (all of them followers of Jesus). They’d made mistakes and he pointed those out because he loved them too much not to. They’d been wounded by what he wrote. But rather than indulge their hurt feelings and prepare their defenses, they’d been humble enough to recognize the truth of what he’d written. They saw where they’d fallen into sin and they repented of it.

God never wants you to remain stuck in guilt, shame, sorrow, or regret. He doesn’t want you defending what got you in that place. He wants you rejecting it. His grace is freely available to everyone who truly repents of what they’ve done. His grace is always freely available to you. When you’re in a place of grief over some sin you’ve committed or hurt you have inflicted, turn back to God. Confess your sorrow and sin to God and ask His forgiveness in the name of Jesus. He will always forgive! Do the same to any person affected by your actions and pray they will respond like God. God’s always ready to forgive and embrace His children – we just need to swallow our pride and ask. #FollowJesus

“But as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;” – 2 Corinthians 6:4-5

On this Labor Day, it’s helpful to remember that God created and ordained work before mankind fell into sin. Work was created to be a gift, a source of satisfaction, and significant for the Lord. Our ancestors’ fall into sin brought a curse upon work, so that it isn’t always as pleasant or fulfilling as God created it to be. Nonetheless, honest labor remains honorable, glorifying to God, and a blessing that helps provide for oneself and others. It is good when we can take pleasure in good work done well for the glory of God.

As Christians, we’re further invited into the challenging but fulfilling labor of God’s Kingdom. We’re called to make disciples as we go about our lives. Some people are specially called to devote themselves full-time to Kingdom work, as Paul describes. However, every Christian is called into God’s work. In the labor of the Lord you will find joy and probably some heartache, significance and sometimes suffering, purpose and the presence of God. Don’t avoid His work. Embrace it in the power of the Holy Spirit. Rejoice in God’s invitation to labor and trust in His blessing of your efforts on His behalf. #FollowJesus