What is your style of giving?

This CoffeeBreak is one from the archives.  In the past, it has brought emails my way expressing thanks.  As always, I thank you for reading along on CoffeeBreak.  They are sent with prayer that God will bless you abundantly as you say  "yes" to His plans for your life.
 
Which is your giving style?

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet?  Many of us still have people on our gift list without a matching present! We will venture out to make our purchases motivated in many different ways. Consider these...

There is the CHEAP giver. 
He is driven by one goal - buying something, anything, that satisfies the imperative for gift giving -while spending as little money or energy as possible. My one question to this person is - "Why bother?" You have missed the meaning of Christmas entirely. Save yourself the effort because the person who receives your 'gift' will only be obligated to write an insincere 'thank you' note!"

There is HURRIED giver.
With hummingbird-like rapidity, she darts from store to store, grabbing this and that, checking off the names on her list. Obligation, not love, is the primary motivation forgiving a gift, so most any gift will do, just get it and wrap it up.

There is the "PAY MY DEBTS" giver.
This person foolishly believes that with one gift, usually one that costs way too much, he can make up for his failures through the year. Yes, it is particularly a 'man' thing! Men are much more likely, according to published reports, to overspend to compensate for misdeeds than women. But, the truth is, no single gift can erase a year's worth of inattention or emotional distance. This shopper is in for disappointment!

There is the "I'D SURE LIKE THAT" giver.
He buys things he would like to receive and presents them to others! His gifts are often very nice, but they don't 'fit.' Why? Because, his gifts are not thoughtfully chosen with the recipient in mind. Even his 'giving 'reflects his preoccupation with himself. To me a 1 Gig USB Flash Drive is a fine gift, but if I buy one for my wife, she'll say, "What's this?" She has no use for it, and probably doesn't even know what it is.

And, there is the "BECAUSE I LOVE YOU" giver.
Finally, we find the heart of Christmas! This person thinks carefully about the tastes, the needs, the personality of the person for whom he is getting a gift and, after a careful search, prepares a gift that he presents with no strings attached. This kind of giving reflects what the Bible says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35, NLT) This is how God gave to us. John says, that "God so loved the world (you could insert your name in place of 'the world')that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, NIV)

God's Gift to us was -
costly,
prepared from eternity,
based on our greatest need, and
shaped by love! 

What a gift!

Here’s is the word from the Word.  May it inspire the highest kind of giving, the deepest kind of love in us.
"Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself.
A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be.
And he did it by means of Jesus Christ." (Romans 3:24, The Message)

In your gift-giving, make LOVE the reason.


Having trouble finding a gift for someone on your list?
Relax and think about who they are, what they need, and how you can express love in a language they'll understand. It will come to you!
____________________

Dancing Over All These Graves

A few days ago the road in front of my home was being resurfaced. The flagman was positioned right at the end of my driveway from 8 AM to 4 PM so we interacted several times as I came and went through the day. He was amazing! I can’t think of many jobs that would be more boring than waving cars through a construction zone, yet he had a genuine smile on his face. He waved to kids and pleasantly greeted those he stopped. On a job that many would hate, he was making the most of his opportunities.

Is your life full of obligations or with opportunities? If you are living in God’s purpose, intent on discovering His plans, you have this promise: "God ...richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment." (1 Timothy 6:17, NLT) We are not asked to ignore unpleasant situations, nor must we try to turn pain into pleasure. But, if we choose His grace, we can live with joy in all circumstances. Joy honors our God, for it is evidence that His Spirit is living in us. Constant complaint reveals a lack of faith, a refusal to submit to the hand of God.

The people of Israel provide a negative lesson! God led them out of Egypt with marvelous signs. His Presence was visibly with them each day and night. He fed them with manna, enough for each day. All that is not say that they did not face challenges. Life was difficult for them. After living in fixed homes, they had become nomads. Their future was the Promised Land, but they faced a battle to possess it. Their failure was their refusal to accept all that He gave ‘for their enjoyment.’ They complained bitterly; about the food, against their leaders, and in every situation. From their ungratefulness came faithlessness, and from that came the curse of death!

Choose the joy of the Lord today!
Have challenges? Present them to the Lord, with the expectation of His grace. He may deliver you from them or He may lead you through them but He is equally God and gracious in either circumstance. Here is the word from the Word. Make it more than sentiment, a life principle.
"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again-rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.
Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 4:4-7, NLT)

___________

I want the joy of the Lord to come down!

I want the joy of the Lord to fall now!

I want the joy of the Lord in my life.

I want the joy of the Lord to lift me!

I want the joy of the Lord to change me!

I want the joy of the Lord in my life.

It's time I started dancing

Over all these graves;

It's time I gave You, oh my Lord,

The highest praise;

It's time to lift my voice,

Oh, and beg for this blessing to fall.

The Joy of the Lord

© 2002 River Oaks Music Company (a div. of EMI Christian Music Publishing)

Rita Springer

CCLI License No. 810055

$245 Million Dollars!

Three wealth managers from Connecticut showed up at the lottery headquarters to claim the huge prize of $245,000,000. It made headlines around the country. And the story fueled thousands of conversations that start with ‘what if.’  What if I came into that kind of money? What if my life were instantly changed by a windfall of wealth? Researchers who looked into those questions found that most people who suddenly become wealthy are no happier a year later. I find myself saying, “It would be different for me.”  Would it really?

Jesus told this story about a man who found himself with great wealth. As you read it think deeply about your attitudes towards wealth. Do you think, as most Americans do, that more money means more happiness? 

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
“This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes." (Luke 12:15-23, NIV)

What’s the conclusion drawn from that parable? Is it that wealth is evil? Not at all. Jesus is encouraging contentment that comes from a life that is centered on the things of God. What are those?  Love for God and love for others. Jesus talked a lot about money! He knew how deceptive the glitter of gold is. He knew how twisted the life of a person can become when his goal is to pile up wealth. People who love money will take advantage of their own grandmother to get more. They will never have enough.  Envy is a lens that distorts every relationship. Greed is a toxin in the soul.

On the positive side, we find this counsel in Scripture. Take this word from the Word and make it practical today. When you watch those commercials that try to sell you something, ask yourself if you can be content without it. Ask God to make you ‘soul-rich’ filled with the true wealth of love, joy, and peace.

"True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness."
(1 Timothy 6:6-11, NLT)

The sky is falling!

Everybody feels fear. It’s normal. When the smoke alarm goes off, fear causes you to quickly move to determine if there is a fire, and if necessary, to get out of the house. Fear saves your life! Anxiety is a cousin to fear built more around possible threats than actual ones. “What if,” looms large in the mind of the person who is anxious. Fear rises quickly and abates when the crisis is past. Anxiety hangs on like a bad cold, stealing the ability to sleep soundly, destroying the appetite for food, and sometimes causing secondary problems like depression or an obsessive need to take control. Fear is a healthy emotion. Anxiety is an emotional disorder that is related to spiritual needs.

Here’s the good news. A Christian enjoys a gift of God called peace. While he will experience fear in times of crisis he does not have to allow anxiety to take over his life. As He was preparing to leave the disciples, Jesus told them that His peace was theirs for the asking. "The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:26-27, NIV)

If you are not peaceful today, the first question needing an answer is this:  “Am I afraid or anxious?”  If you are experiencing real fear, you can take steps to deal with the cause. Define it, understand it, and find the right resources to deal with it. If you are anxious, the solution is complex and simple at the same time. To simply say, “I won’t worry anymore,” is not all that effective. If I told you not to think about pink elephants, what image forms in your mind immediately?  (Yes, you are picturing pink elephants right now, aren’t you?)  Finding relief from anxiety requires that we learn to think differently. So, all you have to do is pray, right?  Not so fast! Anxiety cannot find relief in superficial responses.  The peace of God grows in us as we cooperate with His Spirit. While it is a gift to all Christians, we must accept it by faith.

First step is to get honest and admit to yourself, to a trusted friend, and to God that anxiety is an unhealthy part of your life. “But, my husband really might leave me!”  “But, my parents both did get cancer so I need to worry about that.”  Life is full of uncertainty. Jesus asks a pointed question of worriers: "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matthew 6:27, NIV) That’s not an excuse for irresponsibility, it is an invitation to faith! “People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." (Matthew 6:31-334, The Message)

The second choice is to build a solid foundation on God’s Truth. The person who builds his life on the Lord’s acceptance and promises, that centers himself squarely in the center of God’s purposes, is much less susceptible to being controlled by anxiety. This is the guiding principle that keeps him at peace in a turbulent world: "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:3, NIV)

The third choice is an ongoing one of daily discipleship. Spiritual health which takes away anxiety is not maintained in fits and starts, in running to church when the crisis looms, in trying to find God when the future looks dark. A strong, vibrant faith comes from walking with God. The Word reminds that "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25, NIV)

Here’s a word from the Word. As you receive it, may you experience the peace of God.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23, NIV)