FRESH START TODAY... Do you Desire to be refreshed?
Proverbs 11:25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. NIV
There are people that can burden you with many requests at times. Some people seem to have unrealistic expectations, because they may be young in the Lord or may not even know the Lord. I have been a pastor’s wife and people seem to expect that the pastor needs to do everything from preaching, to teaching, to visiting the sick, to visiting the well, feeding the hungry, to meeting the financial needs of others, to cleaning the church, to counseling the weak and to not have a personal life. Pastors and their families live in glass houses and are watched every day by people who want to see them fall in their spiritual walk. Let me relate to you an experience that was very hurtful to us because a member of a church family would not forgive. We went on vacation for ten days and while we were away this man’s wife became very ill. The Sunday we returned he was in the worship center and he approached my husband very angry with him for not visiting his wife in the hospital. We were gone! He did not believe that we were gone and stayed angry until we left the church five months later. His unwillingness to forgive was a major reason we chose to leave the church even after several attempts to reconcile. His attitude towards us was damaging to the entire church body. We have forgiven this man and have asked God to bless him. I encourage you to support your pastor, allow him to be human and encourage him to take time for his family. He needs to take vacations that will refresh his ministry in your church. Do not be quick to judge him when he is not perfect, pray for him. You really want to be refreshed? Give your pastor a monetary handshake and tell him to take his family to dinner. People have done that for us and it has been a blessing. Do this for others that may need it, too, if you have the financial resources.
We have some wonderful memories that have refreshed us as we have served the Lord. I will not cast my alms before you, but to let you know that God has been faithful in blessing us privately as we have been sensitive to His requests to be generous. We can never out give the Lord Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. His generous heart made Him willing to die for our sins. God the Father has lifted up the name of Jesus and we will worship Him. Jesus has given us wisdom and guidance to what our attitude should be towards one another in the faith. Remember that He chose us!
John 15:16-17, You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. NIV
These words that Jesus spoke could not be any clearer about our appointment to go and bear fruit as believers. We cannot rebel against the Lord and expect our prayers to be answered. We must be generous, caring and sensitive to being obedient to the Lord. He commanded us to love each other!
This is the last blog for this week on the Scripture of choice to be generous. If you have not been faithful in doing this you can START FRESH TODAY and reach out to others. I want to encourage you again to write down the Scripture for the week, read it every day and keep a personal journal. This way the Holy Spirit can open your heart to what His Words will say to you. I write these blogs sharing what the Lord is saying to me, but it may be different for you. The Lord Jesus Christ desires a personal relationship with you.
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