Ok, so don't get too excited as we're not exactly giving money away, but we are giving it back- back to the One who already owns it. We're all familiar with the concept of "Walking by Faith- not by Sight"....sounds great on paper doesn't it? However, as we all know, this is a much more difficult discipline to live out. I think what will be shared below is for every single individual so keep reading. It's the "real life stuff" that each of us as believers, must contemplate on a day to day basis. Are we trusting in God, or are we trusting in what we can do on our own, leaving very little room for Him to work and showcase His power? I was reading a blog last night of a family who lives in Africa and I felt that what they wrote fit so perfectly about living by faith.
I'll share that in a moment.
Here is a quick background to how this "Faith walk" is suddenly becoming more tangible to us in recent months. Not only has being in an adoption process for the last year been a complete step of faith, Nate and I are part of a church plant that has been meeting in a school for 3 1/2 years and are now moving towards a permanent facility.
Our church recently launched "Movement", a generosity initiative asking each person to give generously above their tithe not to just help attain a permanent facility, but rather giving towards a movement of God that will reach our city and the world with Christ. It's not about a building, but about impacting lives -building a movement of God that will out live our lifetime. The goal of "Movement" is that each of us would, in turn, spend intentional time in prayer and come to complete dependency on God to provide financial resources that are far greater than what we could ever do on our own, thus living out our faith tangibly by asking God to provide that for which we decide to pledge to give to Him.
Those who have been a part of this process over the last several months, know that it is not always easy to make decisions about giving away money or much less about giving BIG when God calls you to do it and when you don't know where the money is going to come from exactly. However, giving out of what "we have" versus giving out of "what do not have yet" stretches us and puts us a position to pray harder and rely on God to come through for us in ways in which He wants to already do, if we but ask.
For Nate and I, we have enjoyed going through this process together and reading the book 'The Treasure Principle' by Randy Alcorn. ( a great, but quick read)
Nate and I are both naturally "savers" and "planners" by nature and we thought we knew where God was leading us personally with our pledge about a month ago, but then about 2 weeks ago we felt God telling us to go back to the drawing board and reconsider our amount we were to pledge towards 'Movement'. We felt our original pledge amount was an amount that we could "somewhat tangibly" come up with on our own over time. We prayed about it and then came back together to see where God had led us.
That is when God had laid the same idea on our heart as to what was holding us back from giving an amount that only He could provide-- and as we shared about what we had been led to give, we had come to the same amount and same reason God had led us towards this particular amount. We realized our adoption process with all of its unknowns and its expense was what we were holding onto in fear that somehow "we" had to come up with both the amount for that as well as the same amount for our pledge. Simple faith was again what we were reminded of and since we knew God owned it all anyway, we decided that God wanted us to "take a leap of faith", step out, and trust Him.
We've both certainly seen time and time again in our lives both before and after we were married, that faithfulness to tithing and giving to God are incredible ways to see His faithfulness demonstrated, as God always out gives us every time. We would be lying if we didn't say this whole process is a bit scary at times, but we are honestly excited to see how God will bless obedience as He promises in His Word and we encourage you to step out in faith too and trust Him. (in whatever it is you are facing right now)
When we held our "Leadership Movement Night" last week, I have to say I've never seen so many people gathered in one place exited about giving money away! It was an amazing time of worship together and in pledging to give back to God
what He already owns.It was exciting to see this passion in our church leaders and volunteer teams and will be exciting to see what God does through our church tomorrow. Remember, without faith it is impossible to please Him.
Which brings me back to the blog from the couple who lives in Africa. It pertains so well to what our church is currently experiencing and what many of us experience on a day to day basis as we live by faith. The rest of this post was written by the Arndt family- some challenging thoughts for each of us to consider....
“Anyone can get happy after the miracle has come. Show me someone who celebrates before the answer, and I’ll show you someone who is about to experience the answer. This is the nature of faith—it looks ahead and lives accordingly.”
'Hosting the Presence'- author Bill Johnson
Faith is enacted, either by believing something that God says to you or by that which is initiated by your own spirit, based of your belief in Who God says He is or who you have already experienced Him to be. How much more pleasing to Him is it, when we step out in faith before we have even experienced a certain aspect of His nature? Although, if we look closely many of God’s greatest attributes can be seen in His gift of salvation alone. Interestingly enough, we experience salvation through faith. But experience should not determine our measure of faith. Faith is the precursor to experience.
This is why Faith is so pleasing to Him. It is stepping out on the belief that God is who He says He is; that He loves to give, reward, provide, heal, comfort, perform, rescue, intervene, forgive, and interact with us. Faith steps out in expectation regardless of the risks, it says, ” I believe the Character of God is consistent with what I am expecting Him to do, and therefore He WILL do it.”
This is evidenced by all the people and situations listed in Hebrews 11.
Are you wanting to please God with your life? Looking for ways to honor Him and express your love to Him?
Step out in FAITH; start expecting Him to do something BIG that is dear to your HEART. Asking, trusting, waiting, and expecting Him to come through is seen by Him as worship. Position every department of your life to a place that absolutely requires Him to come through for you. Not only is it the safest place to be, and the most worshipful posture we can assume, it’s the most opportune position for us to see everyday miracles.
NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things we hope for, being the evidence of things we do not see. But without faith it is impossible to please Him. Whoever comes to God must believe that God is, and that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:1 & 6)
In Hosting the Presence, the author writes, “To honor Him fully, we have to live in such a way that unless God shows up, what we are attempting to do is bound to fail.” For example, when Jesus sent out the disciples two by two, in a paraphrase he basically said, “Go into a city. Find a place to stay. Don’t bring any money. Don’t take enough clothing that you can take care of yourself for extended periods of time. Make yourself vulnerable in your abandonment to My purposes, so that unless I show up to provide and direct, it will not work.”
Living this way can literally be scary, and by earthly standards “unwise” and God even works graciously in the the absence of this type of faith. However, a lack of radical faith severely limits His work in and through us. His ultimate goal, to fill the earth with His glory, is going to continue to be stunted until more of His church starts exercising FAITH. Faith for more of His rule and activity dispensed here and now, in our lives, families, jobs, churches, and communities.
