Day 10: Examine Commitment
Read 2 Corinthians 8:1-5
“They gave themselves first to the Lord, and, by the will of God, then to us.” (2 Corinthians 8:5)
Have you ever watched a tee-ball game where the children are just beginning to learn baseball? Every once in a while, a child, so excited that they just hit the ball off the tee, forgets the rules, runs directly to third base, and then heads back to home base to try to score!
Too often, we think of giving to the church as a financial decision rather than as a stewardship decision. We shortcut the ground rules, like the child running directly to third. We rush to start in the wrong direction. We hurry the process. As a result, we may give to the church, but we do not make a stewardship commitment.
To make a stewardship decision, we have to go all the way around and touch all of the bases. Reaching first means making a faith decision before we even consider the financial aspect of our giving. Reaching first means calling to account our lives of faith before doing any financial accounting.
In 2 Corinthians 8:5, Paul says of the Macedonian church, “they gave of themselves first to the Lord, and then to us in keeping with God’s will.” Getting to first means determining your commitment level before deciding your financial position. Making a stewardship decision means responding to a deeper calling of faith, not reacting to a quick accounting. A stewardship decision is, first and foremost, a faith commitment, not a financial calculation.
First things first...they gave themselves first to the Lord. That is the place to begin a conversation about a stewardship decision.
Prayer: Lord, first let me give myself more fully to you. Then let my decisions grow out of what I believe...and out of what you call me to be and to do.
Action Item: “First things first.” Instead of rushing to the calculator or the budget, answer these questions first. What is God wanting to accomplish through my church now? How is God working in my life currently? What could God do through me as a part of my church? How can I give myself more fully to God through the way I engage with my church?