The Family Business
This post will seem like from a past holiday, but really it is a thought on Thanksgiving. You see my son, Pastor Todd Spieker, preached on generosity and how to finally be satisfied with what you have. Contentment. Even my church children at Mission Do caught the message very quickly.
Todd explained that often no matter how much we have, all we can see is how much candy is in another's bag. Our hearts are never satisfied, never feeling full. No matter how much you buy, or do, or create your belly is empty. You can see from the sketch that none of the trick or treaters are happy. Even the clown at the top, with an overflowing pot of candy, does not have a look of joy.
Old Testaments stories abounds with cases of people who are abundantly blessed but are filled with anxiety that it won't to be enough. They were afraid that their needs would not be met. They didn't trust God.
But God gave His own son into the world to save it. We, too, can miss the abundance at the heart of God's love and only see the scarcity we fear. Jesus walked the earth giving everywhere He placed His feet. He went about healing, feeding, caring, and blessing.
One of Todd's last phrases hit me. Give to be satisfied. The Bible says Mathew in 5:38-45 if you have to two coats, give one away. If someone makes you walk one mile with them, go two. Do not turn away from one who wants to borrow from you. Put your talents to work in the lives of others, offer grace to those who sin against you again and again and again. So that we can be the children of our Father in heaven and we can be like Him.
Another illustration that I have heard is that it's like a balloon with a pinprick of a hole in it. No matter how much air that you try to cram into the balloon it will never truly be filled up. You can blow and blow and blow to no effect. It takes generosity and true gratitude to close up that hole.
God is a God that gives and to be a part of the family business we must give and give and give.
