This past Sunday was a huge day for we “PEPper” (*see below). It was huge because over and above our regular tithe and offerings we gave on impulse – with no strings attached – over 7000.00. The Bible describes this as “cheerful giving” (2 Cor. 9:7). I expected no less because the people of the FMCOG are good-hearted and generous people.
However, I highlight this fact today to point out today’s ONE THING: “Stay pure by giving.”
The words of our Lord as recorded in Acts 20:35 – “It is more blessed to give than to receive” – is very germane to what I’m suggesting. Remember my reminder to you a few days ago in which I encouraged you to be intentional about serving others. One of the main reasons is that we are by nature selfish. If we are not careful life can become mostly about us – our feelings, our needs, our desires, our interest, our family, our church, our country…you get the picture.
The above list is not necessarily bad. It is good to be concerned about each of them, but left unchecked focusing mostly on ourselves reduces life to something that is very small and increasingly unfulfilling. It’s sort of like having a photo album full of generations of your family. Naturally, in a family album there will be a few pictures of you. However, suppose you only focus on the handful of pictures that include you; you are going to miss so out on generations of your family members – their faces, their stories, and their connection to you and your connection to the bigger mosaic of your family. That would be a tragic event, but that is exactly what happens when we allow life to become about us.
Giving keeps you connected to the bigger picture. Giving keeps you honest. Giving keeps you pure. And the more intentional and frequent you become about this habit of giving the greater the return of joy and fulfillment you will discover.
So in summary: Give! Give intentionally, give frequently, give generously, and give with no strings attached. You’ll be ever so glad you did.
*PEPpers = members of the Fort Mill Church of God who have brought into the PEP values of our church which are:
- (P) – People Matter
- (E) – Equipping People for Life & Eternity
- (P) – People Experiencing Pentecost
The ONE THING 