Thursday, July 22, 2010

First Fruits or Bruised Bananas?

When it comes to giving-of time, of thoughts, of resources, of money-where do my priorities lie? What captivates my imagination and attention and where have I devoted my affections? These are questions I have found myself asking more and more over the past year, and maybe you have as well.

Though we might be quick to think that this surge in personal inventory is the outgrowth of a slowing economy, I would hope that it runs much deeper and personal than that. Perhaps God is working in my life and yours to draw our hearts closer to Him in the realization that our hope, our joy, and our fulfillment will never be found by treating His kingdom as if it requires a monthly supplement on par with a car or mortgage payment.

How many times do we check off the tithing "box" before moving on to the next obligation? I do more often than I'd like to admit. Do I seek out opportunities to give and do I even realize that having that opportunity is a privilege that the majority of this world's citizens will probably never realize? Am I giving God the first and the very best that He's entrusted into my care for His glory?

My wife Julie, who blogs about our adoption journey, captures the essence of what having this opportunity truly means in her most recent posting. Her words both blessed and convicted me to continue to seek our Lord's face and to continually look to give back what was rightfully His in the first place. I invite you to read along here.

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