Who He says you are.

Looking in the mirror we can all point out our own flaws.  We all know our weaknesses as well as our strengths.  In the world we live we meet with a lot of pressure.  Pressure of who people want us to be.  We wrestle with our status in society because we are either seen as a successful role model or we are seen as outsider unable to accomplish much.  The so-called "in crowd" and the "outsiders".  We might think this is just on school level... but it is everywhere.  Businessmen fight to be the most respected in their field.  Titles are thrown around left and right to point out status and your skills, and abilities will label you as a genius ready to overcome anything or an idiot that needs help with any and all things.

We compare ourselves to the world around us.  Our weight, knowledge, possessions, victories, experiences.  This all counts as part of your " social status".

1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

Despite this well known verse we struggle when we look at those around us.  It is easy to either say: "If only I can achieve what he/she achieved" or you might say: "I am so glad I don't struggle or act like he/she does.  We use the world around us as a measure of what we should be and what we should achieve.

Think of it this way; when you look at sports, every athlete is categorized by a certain aspect... in most cases it is age.  Now when you run against 17 year old athletes, you are being compared to them and according to what you achieve in that area... you can win, break records or loose.  Keep in mind that when a 21 year old, runs against a 16 year old... it is absolutely unfair and a win is almost guaranteed to the older athlete.

In life we run not against this world or the people in it... because we are not categorized with them.  Rather we run against God...  Yes He will always be way ahead of you... but that is the point.  That way we compare ourselves against the category He made us in.  We can never boast on anything because we are always behind from where we should be and that keeps us humble... it also drives us to always grow in faith and never to slow down... but we never have to feel inferior because a race against God is also a race with God and He helps with training and motivation.  The difference is now we are in the league that God made us.

We are kings and queens.  Rulers of what God made and created.  We are the children of the Most High God!  It is time we see ourselves like God does instead of measuring ourselves against the world and feeling inferior to the very creation we were made to rule over.

The question remains this... when you look at the stars and the galaxy.  When you realize the size of the cosmos, is your reaction: "I feel so small!" Or is it: "wow! Look at what God entrusts me with!".

On Offering

We have all been in churches where offering is preached.  This is no news to anyone these days.  Maybe you haven't been in a church where it is preached but you have heard of people being encouraged to sow.

I want to make this clear from the get go that I am not at all against it and that I myself sow and will also encourage you to do so, the fact of the matter is we need to check our attitude.

Countless times I sat in meetings where it has been preached that if I am in need of finances or I want to have my financial breakthrough, I need to sow into the Kingdom.  For what you sow you will reap.  Is this the right doctrine being preached?  The scripture in Galatians 6:7 states clearly:

"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap."

But it also goes on in verse 8:

"For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life." 

This is clearly in the context of your actions and where your time is spent.  It did not have anything to do with finances.  Now the important thing however is that giving toward the work of God is still very needed.

Firstly; Sowing is an act of worship!  Your current finances was given to you.  You might say that you worked for it... but then who was responsible for you having a job?  Is it not God?  As Christians we believe in offering up ourselves to God as a living and holy sacrifice as is required of us according to  Romans 12:1.  By trusting God with your finances you are also trusting God with your life... the very source we use to buy food and shelter with.  So offering and sowing financially to a church or ministry is an act of worship and a vital part of what we confess as Christians.  This cannot be ignored!

Secondly: Finances is a part of life.  Where does the finances come from to organize outreaches?  Where is the money sourced from to keep the churches running?  Paying the staff, electrical and water bills?  How is ministry kept up and running?  Through the giving of the church members.  Paul writes to the churches he visits in the Mediterranean area concerning financial support towards the ministers visiting them.  By upholding and supporting the church and thereby the work of God, we have a part of what God is doing.  We can thus be the hands of God on earth.

In conclusion I want to make this clear... sowing financially in order to gain financially is vanity.  We live by grace and not by works.  No one ever had to buy their parents food and sow into their life financially before they got fed themselves.  Same with God.  We are His children, He cares for us no matter what and, it is all by grace... we cannot do anything to gain anything.  However, sowing is needed because not only is it an important act of worship but it is also supporting the work of God and enabling the church to reach out and do it's job.

So let's give with a joyous heart, as an act of worship.  Let's support ministries around us.  And let's trust in God to supply all our needs and more since He is our Heavenly Father.  Matthew 6 sums up this point:

Matthew 6:31-33 "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

The selfishness of judging

We look at people all around us and everyone is doing their own thing.  In our daily lives we face frustration towards those around us.  Whether it's a person skipping the red light, whether work is not handed in on time or even work done incompletely or unneatly.  It might be the way people talk, look, think or do.  The fact of the matter is that we get frustrated and judge people daily based on these principles.

One of the best known movies of our time was Pirates of the Caribbean: The curse of the Black Pearl 2003.  Johnny Depp played the role of a very humorist pirate captain.  Close to the end of the movie he and two of his crew members was fighting in a cave against their enemies... the rest of their crew that stayed behind on the ship saw that danger was approaching and decided to leave Jack and the other two crew members behind and sail away.  When they exited the cave victorious, the two crew members were very angry that the rest of the crew left them behind.  Jack however said something that had unmistakable value. "They did what was right by them, you can't expect more".

Now think of the philosophy behind all this.  Why do we judge?  By what measure or standard do we see people to act right or wrong?  The answer is simple but shocking; our own standards.  Yes, we judge people by what we believe to be right or wrong.  A bit selfish don't you think?

Jesus is very clear on this in John 7 where the Pharisees were rebuking Jesus for healing on a Sabbath.  Jesus had an interesting argument.  From verse 21 Jesus hammered them on the fact that they would circumcise people on the Sabbath... according to them it was acceptable because it was not considered work but rather joining someone to the faith and church.  In the same way Jesus saw the man's healing.  That the man's faith was strengthened and his relationship with God restored... so then it can't be wrong to heal on the Sabbath.  Immediately we see that Jesus direct the crowds attention away from the action being performed and rather fixing it on the motive behind the action.  In this instance it was both the restore and build up whats broken.

John 7:24 "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Imagine a world where we realize that everyone, whether in our eyes it was the right or wrong thing to do, start realizing that people only do what they think is best and that we should rather look at their motives than the actions they perform.  Don't you think our world would have less misunderstandings and a lot more love and patience towards one another.  Honestly, we have no right or reason to judge, because just as you find fault with what others are doing, so others also will find fault in what you are doing since everyone sees and experiences the world differently.

Luke 6:37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;..." 

The command was never to see whether people are acting and living right, it was simply to love those around them.  Let's look at whats going on behind the scenes and the motives behind actions rather than throwing stones on what we think we are seeing.