by Carrin Mahmood- MA Theology
The Scripture ~ “God loves a cheerful giver.” II Corinthians 9:7
The Spiritual Focus ~ “Love only grows by sharing. You can only have more for yourself by giving it away to others.”
~ Brian Tracy
Breath Prayer ~ Inhale: Satisfaction ~ Exhale: Generosity ~
The Devotion ~ I like inventory! I like the way it looks. I like the way I feel with full shelves. I love to have two or three bottles of shampoo on my shelves, backup toilet paper, and at least one extra bottle of olive oil. I thought I had died and gone to heaven when we began shopping at a local “discount warehouse” because everything is sold in multiples! I know the parable about the man who stored up so much of his own wealth that he was forced to build barns just to hold it all, and his untimely end. Luke 12:21 says…“He is a fool which layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God.” And yet I can’t help but love the look of a full shelf!
When I sold scrapbooks the best day was when an order was delivered. All these boxes would be left on my deck, which meant that soon my shelves would hold a wealth of inventory. This wasn’t just any ordinary inventory either, it was books, and papers, and stickers. Multi-colored and textured inventory is the best kind. It actually got to the point where I would become disappointed when someone would want to buy something. For someone who was selling scrapbooks for a living, this wasn’t the healthiest attitude. Those albums were created to hold the stories and memories of as many lives as I could get them to, yet here I was squirreling them away because that was self-satisfying.
At times I find myself acting the same way with my faith. I LOVE taking classes and storing up information. I like surrounding myself with Christian mentors and getting into wonderful deep theological discussions with other Christians. Unfortunately, that is not all that is expected of us as Christ’s disciples. He left us with a great commission to go out and tell everyone His Good News! Faith stacked on a shelf, no matter how beautifully displayed, is wasted. II Corinthians 9:7 says: “God loves a cheerful giver.” I believe He wants us to give not only of our resources financially but also of our time and even the faith of our hearts!
Yoga Pose ~ Heart opener. Standing camel pose Stand tall. Make fists with your hands and press them above the glutes into the iliac crest. Press your hips backwards with equal tension into your fists. Tighten the glutes, and the lower abdomen. Squeeze the elbows towards each other and lift your heart towards the sky.
