Giving Everything

I like Acts 2. Particularly verses 44 and 45. It tells us that everyone had everything in common — so much that people were selling their things and property just to help those around them who needed the financial stability. People selling an old field may not sound like much, but land was different during the time of this writing. Land was a form of power and prestige. Kind of like having a lot of money these days. To have a lot of land was to be a modern day Bill Gates.

It’s interesting that they are doing this. I remember a young rich man that once came to Christ and asked him what he had to do to get into heaven. Jesus eventually ended up telling him that he had to sell everything and follow Christ. If you had any doubts that Christ really meant it, here’s the proof he did.

I wonder how this works for me. I don’t make a lot of money that I can use to help others. I don’t have land to sell (come on; I’m a college student!). So how can I help? What can I do? What is my responsibility?

One reoccurring theme in the bible is that it doesn’t always matter what you do. It matters what kind of heart you do it with.

There are lots of organizations out there trying to collect money for people in other countries to be able to eat. I’m sure Jesus would be absolutely thrilled for us, as his followers, to help these organizations along. That is, only if we truly want to. Jesus doesn’t want us to do something half-heartedly. If we do something, he wants us to do it ALL THE WAY. The same goes for tithe, talent, and time. God says that it’s better for us to not do something then to do it half heartedly.

“And the Lord said to me, ‘Faithless Israel has proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.” Jeremiah 3:11. Jesus says this because he would rather have people ignore him and be honest about it (Israel) than have people ignore him and still pretend to be a follower (Judah). God does not like hypocrites.

And here’s why: if you’re not doing something (anything) out of the wanting of your heart, then there’s no love involved. You’re not truly submitting to the person (or people) you’re helping.

And submitting is the key. To everything.

So, the next couple days we’ll talk about some very specific ways of submitting financially.

Until then, HOW DO YOU SUBMIT, TODAY…