Contagious Generosity (Day FIVE-30 Day Challenge)

Good morning all!

It is Thursday…which you know means it is almost Friday. More importantly…we are one day closer to SUNDAY! Do you love Sundays?!?! I just love them. I get to spend Sundays with some pretty amazing people. I am so excited and blessed that God has brought me to my church. I thank Him often, as I am blown away by their generosity. And I don’t just mean financial generosity or tangible gifts. There are people within the walls of my church that are teaching me, by example, to be generous with my time. They make themselves available whenever ministry happens. These people I am blessed to know are generous with their encouragement. They are generous with their affection. They are generous with their covering of prayer. They are generous with their blessings. Generosity comes in so many different avenues!

The main road from which ALL avenues of generosity should stem…is the heart. Willingly AND happily giving because God has asked, is not a pre-requisite. IT SHOULD BE…but you are surely ABLE to give with the wrong heart condition. You can give a compliment and expect a return. You can hold out the blessing God has asked for you to give, with a hand clenched, and a icy glare. Almost challenging the recipient to dare take that which God has instructed you to give to bless them. We can always mess up God’s blessing. Think about this though…

Let’s pretend that you are asked to bless someone with a financial/tangible gift. You do it…but your heart is NOT into it. You give begrudgingly. You talk behind the recipients back about how they should’ve been smarter with their finances. You hold your hands out. One with the blessing. One with your own expectation. A return. You are waiting for the groveling at your feet. For the million pleading thank you’s. And if your unspoken expectations are not met…you deem them ungrateful.

What, besides the obvious heart issue, is wrong with that mentality? Why is it even something we should try to remedy? YOU. ARE. THE. ONE. THAT. IS. CHOOSING. TO. NOT. BE. BLESSED! When you, with the right heart, bless someone with words of affirmation, gifts, meals, time, prayers, etc…you ARE blessed in return. When you aren’t expecting it because you are ‘entitled’…I promise it will absolutely floor you. It is all about your heart condition. We give generously because God does not hold back. His scale is already tipped one way on what He deserves compared to what we do. His resources are nothing like ours. We give as He leads…because we trust HIM! If we don’t give when
He asks…I would say not only is it a heart issue that MUST be addressed…it is also a trust issue.
Can God replace what He has already given you if He asks you to give it up? YES! That might be the whole point of the blessing. A teachable moment! He can use anything to stretch us in our faith/trust.
Are we willing to change? I pray so!

Let’s look up some verses to help prove God’s point for today. I don’t want you to take MY word for it. Dive into HIS! Don’t set out to prove me wrong…set out to prove Scripture to be right and relevant in your heart of generosity.

“One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly(which means excessively), but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:24-25  Keep giving when God leads. Keep blessing with right heart motives. God promises you WILL be taken care of. You will be refreshed. You will gain even more. Those are the inspired Words of God…not of Vanesa! Unfortunately I don’t have the resources to give all that this world needs…but, thankfully, I have access to someone who absolutely DOES! And maybe, just maybe, the gift you give is not at all about the gift. Maybe, instead, it is about showing the heart of Christ to someone who is silently struggling. Maybe this small act of obedience on your part is meant to be a turning point for the person receiving it. Maybe they are just waiting for someone to truly and openly live the heart of Christ before they themselves become sold out for Him.

You see little. God sees ALL. Who’s perspective do you trust?! Let’s set up a picture in your mind.

You know how I LOVE to do that. I want this to stick! I don’t want it to be easily forgotten!! Put yourself at the top of the Grand Canyon. Place a camera in your hand. Put your eye up close to the teensy-weensy view window. Put your head down and focus on one of your own feet through the eye of the camera. You can see only where you are standing at that moment. You can’t see the next step. You don’t know where you might stumble. You can’t see the beauty that comes after years of shaping. You don’t know where danger is. You don’t know what lies ahead…because you only see your own focused, little path. One shoe. Tattered. Beaten. Tired. How can you take a step of faith to give, what you have been given mind you, when you don’t KNOW what is to come?

Now take the camera down to your side. Look up. Open your eyes to the beauty that lies ahead. Trust that even though you don’t know how to shape this impossible rock…you know One who does. He’s not asking you to figure it out. He’s not even asking you to try. He’s asking you to trust. Give freely…and trust without question. You see little. God sees ALL and it is beautiful!

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” 1 Timothy 6:17-18

We can’t allow the world to out-give us. Some of the most generous people I know are spiritually lost. =( How sad that makes me for them…and also for the example that we, the church, are not living up to. I understand that this not a competition. I’m not trying to make it out to be. How can we expect the world to learn Godly generosity without an example? Notice the title of today’s post. Contagious generosity. I would say the opposite side of this coin is infectious hoarding.

John 3:6 says, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” Radical generosity is contagious! It is exciting! It is humbling. When you listen to the Holy Spirit that lives within you…it gives new birth to that generous mentality in others. OR…you stay in your flesh. You withhold. You talk about how you had to work hard for what you have…and you deserve to be comfortable. And those words, that mentality give birth to others to live in the flesh. To only see in the natural. You choose what type of birthing coach you want to be. Choose carefully. Choose wisely. One will bless you. One will keep you stagnant and in wanting.

Extravagant generosity. What causes a Christian to be just that? Extravagantly generous! Simple. God. They are concerned with pleasing God. They are concerned with giving back to God what He has blessed them with. It is the anonymous man who walked into the Christian Academy that my children attend for grade school. He asked a simple question. “What is the amount needed to pay off your newly finished school building?” He wrote one check. He had extravagant love for children he might never meet. That is the type of generosity that is contagious. He did not require a plaque in his honor. He quietly and confidently offered a check written out with six figures (BEFORE the .00)... to bless a community of the next generation. You do not have to compete. If someone like this man wanted it to be about the amount for competition…I would know his name. Instead, I am clueless. I am thankful. I aspire to be that faith-filled with my abundance!

How can you be contagiously generous today? It doesn’t have to cost you a dime…but it may. =) My family and I were the recipients of MANY MANY blessings last week. I was overwhelmed by the goodness of God! I was humbled at the specific gifts that God gave. I was floored by the them all. Each of them surpassed the need…and even covered what I hadn’t even asked God for. He saw the need…and He raised me a few wants. Lol! So this week…will I choose to let that generosity be contagious? Or will I let it die? Will I let that Spiritual blessing give birth to the out flowing of many more spiritual blessings?

I command contagious generosity in all forms to flow freely in/through me this week! I want people to know that I adore Christ when they meet me! I’m praying for you to have opportunities just as I am me. I want divine appointments to be evident to you. I’d love to hear about them too!!! Please?! Ha-ha! Until then…love to love ya!

Contentment--A Learned Trait of Christ

This has nothing to do with my post. It is just a lovely picture of someone's flowers. I was walking by a house and snuck over to take a picture of these flowers. Periwinkle...I would classify them as the color periwinkle. Love!

Proverbs 19:23 "The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble."

Philippians 4:11b "...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances."

Philippians 4:12 "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

Hebrews 13:5 "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

How would you like to be "untouched by trouble"? How would you like to know that you are never "left nor forsaken"? You can! Learn with me won't you?...

I have been writing and learning a lot lately about greed. A key to NOT becoming a person full of greed…is contentment! I have been actively learning the wonderfully difficult Christ-like trait of contentment for the past few years now. Things that I had come to know and brought me stability and comfort, were now gone. Things that made my life easier, were now given up. Things that others considered ‘necessary’, were really…just not. Just because your circumstance is not easy. Not convenient. Not what you think you deserve…does not mean you have the right to be discontent. (Light bulb moment!)

Let me ask you this…if everything that you know and love was taken from you…would you choose contentment? If the ease of your lifestyle was changed to what seemed impossibly difficult, would you choose contentment? If the people that you counted on were no longer there, would you choose contentment? If you felt completely abandoned and forgotten, would you still choose contentment?

What is the price that you are willing to pay to learn to be like Christ in this way? What will you give up? What will you allow to be taken from you? What will it take for you to know that HE has your back when no one else does?

I feel like God has allowed me to personally go through quite a journey to learn this trait. (I won’t take you on the journey because for one…it will be mentally and emotionally exhausting for all of us. Two I don’t want to give the enemy the pleasure of reading about all the crap he tried to use to break me. And three…I am not into pity parties. They’re a real downer.) I can pretty much guarantee that I would’ve been unwilling had I known what was to come. I would’ve run the other way had I been shown the whole picture. But God KNEW that I could handle it. God KNEW that I would be a better wife, mother, daughter and friend if I learned to be content with little. That I would then thoroughly enjoy each gift He gave me. It is a wonderful gift, this learneding (yep that is what I meant to type…learned and learning) trait of contentment. I am still pulling in the vastness of His Glory. I have not arrived to where I eventually will end up…but the strive is a worthy process.

I am so in awe and love at the awesomeness of my Savior. I don’t deserve Him. I don’t share enough of Him. I don’t prove myself faithful always to Him. But I am so beyond happy that HE proves Himself faithful to me.

What is your trial? What is it in your life right now that seems as though it could be a link to learning contentment? Grab it. Grab hold of Christ and trust His path. Believe that He has YOUR best interest in mind. Enjoy whatever you have been blessed with. Don’t wish your days away…waiting for “IF ONLY’S…”. Take each nugget of God’s goodness and be thankful.

Ever think that being a parent is a thankless job? Imagine. Just imagine…

You lend a hand of protection…and you hear “Why me?”.

You provide an exact need…and you hear whining “Why not more?”.

You give a gift…and see jealousy rise up.

You bless…and you feel as if it goes unnoticed.

You can see where I am going with this right? Our Father has seen our worst. He has seen us act as though we were misbehaving children. He has seen us lie. Cheat. Steal. Hurt. Envy. Destroy. He has felt those things with us. He has protected and then watched us whine about it. He has provided…and not been thanked or watched the credit be given to someone else. The exact thing that we sometimes get upset with human nature for…we then do to the only One who doesn’t deserve it.







As a wife and mother I have felt unappreciated at times, and yet I whine after God meets my ‘need’…that my ‘want’ was ignored. The nerve. I mean really. Nothing like the pot calling the kettle black huh? I long for appreciation…and yet I don’t show it. This is where my learned contentment comes in. When I learn that I can not expect love as I subconsciously think it should be shown…I will be much more content. “Mankind” was not designed to be my ALL. They were designed to be my helpmates, my friends, my prayer partners. My ALL comes from ONE source. One God. One Savior. One Healer. One Unconditional Love.






Disappointment can be a major contentment crusher. Do your best to not let disappointments by ‘men’ (as in mankind…I’m not man hating here)…become a foothold for the enemy. He will grasp at anything that works.

Do you want to know who teaches me daily about being content, happy, joyful with what I have and what I am? My children. You want to see an example? Look for children who love to be with their family.















My kids love to spend time with my husband and I. (We had a family milkshake and movie night earlier this week…and it was absolutely adorable. The giggles. The cuddles. The ease of how little it takes to make them appreciate just being our family. It was an eye-opener from our formerly hectic lifestyle.)

My kids love to see their grandparents. They LOVE to play with their cousins. They love to see their friends. Simple. It isn’t fancy. It isn’t impossible. They love easily. They love deeply. And I LOVE to love people like that!

 

This day. Right now. Choose to be content with exactly where you are…exactly what you are doing. Change what needs to be lined up with the Word of God…and seek Him for your next steps. Contentment sets you free to live life. It gives you unexplainable joy. And it helps you to be truly happy and full of love for those around you who are succeeding. Try it. Test it out for yourself. Make the choice…and let me know how it changes you. You will not be disappointed! Much love!!

Are you as Sick of Greed as I am?

I have been doing the same chapter in my devotional for much longer than I care to admit. =/ The subject matter is greed…and I guess I am learning a thing or two about my heart. I honestly would’ve never said it was something that I had to ‘work on’. God is in the business of renewing our minds. He wants people to know Him when they meet us. So, we must be cleaned. We must put off our old nature…our old ways…and focus on His likeness and His ways.

The other day I was to the point in the devotional chapter where I look up all the listed verses on the subject matter. I was not super excited to do it. I was thinking when I sat down that I would rather be writing. Oh how wrong I was! I was feeling guilty about not adding any scripture to my last post on greed anyway. I planned too…really I did. Then I got all ‘Jo-Jo the Happy Clown-like’…and hit publish before adding any to my final draft. So today…we will see what the Father says about greed. Let’s dive in…

First off we are going to Proverbs. We all know how much I love a kick in the stomach …I mean Proverbs. Ha-ha…really I do LOVE it!! Promise. I have to love it because I must, as it says in Prov 12:1 “…love discipline”. And I also must love it because of the end of that verse…"he who hates correction is stupid.” This is not the verse I am writing about though. I got off my focus there for just a bit. ;) It is a habit of mine when I recall a story or life event. My friends laugh at it…okay they tolerate it. My husband…not so much. Lol! That is why I must have friends who are women! ;)

Okay really now. Proverbs 15. Apparently, by looking at my Bible, I want to remember most of this chapter. I have almost every verse underlined or starred. Beside some of them I wrote what God spoke to me when I first read them. Verse 27 is the one we are looking at for today. “A greedy man brings trouble to his family, but he who hates bribes will live.” Hmmm…trouble? Or life? Which would you willingly choose. Which one ARE you choosing? Intentions mean little if the reality of your heart leads to death.

Don’t be a sin lover…be a sin LOATHER! Found that written in my Bible today beside Prov. 17:19…and I love it! Sin IS a big deal. We need to become aware of how the enemy has been getting to us. When God reveals him to us…it then becomes our position, as heir to the Throne of Grace, to overcome. Revelations from God are for a purpose. To teach. To train. To free. To shed light into the dark.

Only a fool would see the Light, know the Light, trust the Light, and still sprint into the unknown darkness. You can’t trust that darkness. You have no idea what is trying to snatch you. Or trip you. Or kill you. When you stay in the Light though…you can see clearly, the scheme of the enemy. You can laugh at his pitiful attempt. You can crush him beneath you. Because you are not weak when you are in the Light of your Father!

Next we are onto another Proverb. This one found in chapter 28, verse 25, “A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper.” Dissension huh? Let’s define that so that we know if we are a stirrer of it or not. Webster says dissension is defined as, “to disagree; think differently in opinion; strife; quarreling”
We would not allow our children to stir up strife. To quarrel. Sometimes the rules are different for us. It goes back to the word justified. “I am justified in my actions because of how they treated me.” To our children…it is simple. You are saying, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Ouch. Sorry if that truth stings a bit. I’m with ya. I want to live as I want them to learn!

On we go to 1 Corinthians. In chapter 6 verses 9-11…are some harsh realities. Realities that we dare not tempt with! Let’s read them to be sure they are not masked to you! “9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters not adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, your were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ of our God.” (NIV)

That is quite the list huh? I can go through it and KNOW that I am in the clear on most of those. I imagine you can do the same. But what about that word ‘greedy’. If I am finding myself be struggling with masked greed…where does that leave me? I KNOW that I am learning. I KNOW that I am repentful. And I KNOW that I am washed. Sanctified. Without blemish before my King. So I will beat this. You, beloved one, YOU can do the same. If you are feeling convicted…run toward God, not away. He has all that you need!


Mighty Warrior. Do you feel as though you are a warrior who cowers from battle? Or are you are warrior who conquers them?! Ephesians 6:12 reminds us who our battle is against. “…against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”  That leaves you in a place of power over your battles. You have access to resources much more powerful than what the enemy can throw at you. Choose your battle. Choose your weapon. Death or life is in the tongue. The Word of God...always sheds light.

From Reeboks to Appliances...Greed Lives On

Do you all remember the post I wrote titled "Take the Greed Quiz"?  Click here if you want to take a minute now to read it quickly. This is what God has been teaching me here and there over the last 3 months. I allowed greed in at a young age. I never truly dealt with it and defeated it. And now...it has been there for so long, it as if it is masked. Well...God exposed it in a new way to me today. And I am struggling to share it. Pride I guess. The approval of my Father though, that means more to me than judgement from my peers. So...I begin...

Can you remember back when you were in grade school. What kinds of things were important to you? What were the things that you needed in order to feel accepted? I can remember some of mine. It is almost funny to think of them...until God revealed that my mindset is the same...just larger 'things' are required for that 'acceptance'.

Anyone out there born in the 80's? If you were in school during the late 80's you will remember high-top sneakers. You will also remember the sneakers that had the little pump that looked like they sawed a basketball in half and slapped it on the extra large tongue of the shoe.

Yep...I had to have those. Mine were purple Reebok's. Most importantly...the pump was bright purple!! No one treated me any differently because I had them.

Or how about 'the puff'? If you know what I am referring to without explanation...you probably had one too. (I'm sorry. Lol! Kidding....) The 'puff' was the mass of curled bangs, laquered shelacked hair sprayed to the point of complete stiffness...large and in charge. If yours got destroyed by the rain or snow in the 17 mile (exaggeration...eh...maybe a bit) trek to school...I feel for you. Some of my friends said that my 'puff' was the best. *rubs nails on shirt here in a pride-filled way...takes sarcastic bow here...* Blankly stares. Even with all of the praise about my puff...I can think of two people who I thought had a better puff. I will keep the names to myself so as not to start a fight. Lol! No one treated me any differently because I had an awesome puff.

Onto high school in the to late 90's. Levi's jeans...those were the next hot thing. In grade school it was acceptable to wear sweatpants. (I remember one classmate who wore them EVERYDAY! One day he wore jeans to school. All the girls swooned over him. The next day...back to the sweats. Lol!) Just last week I came accross a picture of me in the newspaper for winning some sort of a writing contest. The three other winners and myself...all wearing sweatpants. (I pondered the thought of scanning the picture in...but I wasn't sure the other gentleman would appreciate it. Lol! Also...the legs of my sweatpants were pulled up to just below my knee...so that was hot. Ack! Back to the jeans.)
That little red tag on the pocket of my Levi's was vital.

I remember having one pair that had a tag but it did not say Levi.

It just had a trademark R on it. I was so mad. With or without the word on the tag...no one treated me any differently because I had Levi's on.

Are you seeing a trend? No one cared as much as I did. I adopted this behavior young and kept it. I didn't realize I kept it...but let me put it as God did to me this morning. The following question comes from the devotional "Embraced by God" by Max Lucado.

"How does greed show itself even in the necessities of life like food and clothing?"
My response...We are rarely satisfied by having our needs met. We see more and we want more. We can shop in stores. We can longingly look into the windows of stores we walk by. Then there are all of the catalogs that get mailed directly to our houses. And who could forget the limit free world of online shopping. It is relentless. It is addicting. It is without boundaries. We are bombarded with ads and deals and coupons and sales. Each time...a new opportunity to become uncontent. Or is it discontent? You know what I mean. (Nowadays...I get a catalog...and I throw it away. I have learned. The lists that I have made for all the things I need want...just make me uneasy. The catalog filled with circled and starred items...pointless!)

Someone else always has something that looks better. That is such a one year old mentality. Seriously...I have a one year old. He has a toy. He sees a different toy. He grabs for it. Screams about it. Is no longer satisfied with whatever he had.

This mentality began as an infant.

What I am realizing, is that I am still fighting with it. I didn't realize it sooner because it is not spoken. Just thought. I don't go around throwing tantrums when I see someone with better food. Appliances. Clothing. Houses. Farms. Gardens. Books. Journals. Mugs. Make-up. Vehicles. Campers. ATV's. Talents. Need I go on? See what I was saying? Same mentality...just some larger, more expensive 'things'.

It is a mind thing. I need to rejoice always. To always be content with what I am given. To always be thankful for who I am, where I am, and what I have. It would be better if I did throw a fit...atleast then I would know how often it happens. It was sneaking right by me.

As if masked.

Here is my prayer. You can pray the same, or you can write your own. Just don't let another day go by that greed fills your heart or mind. God has revealed it to me...and I have written it out for you...now go do something about it. =)

God...
Ugh, I need to defeat this greedy, selfish mentality right now, in Jesus Name! This is ridiculous. I have been holding onto silent, masked greed. Now it is exposed. I choose to be content. With where I am. With what I have. Your provision is sufficient for me. I am blessed. I will not desire what I do not have. God please make Your thoughts, my thoughts. Make Your ways, my ways. I need You to renew my mind to be Christ-like. I know Your voice and I will no longer listen to the father of lies. he has been unveiled again. I am not ashamed...I am sorry. Please forgive me and my greed-tainted heart. Help me to rejoice in your provision and blessing to everyone around me. Help me to rejoice even if I am in want...because you have my needs covered. I am blessed more than I have asked to be. Reveal Your goodness to me in new ways. In Jesus Name...I claim victory. I am the head and not the tail. I am above and not below. I will not live as if I am defeated! I praise You for Your never-ending love and faithfulness!
Love...V