O
THE
vercoming
Giving; It’s How You Were Born To Live
SERIES
‘GOD LOVES IT WHEN THE GIVER DELIGHTS IN THE GIVING’
2 CORINTHIANS 9:7. TM
A child who’d just learned to tie his shoes was crying so his mum asked, ‘Is it that
hard?’ ‘No,’ he sobbed, ‘but now I’ll have to do it for the rest of my life!’ Is that how you
feel about giving? You want to learn but you’re not sure about doing it for the rest of your
Father, let me be a
life?
giver of life for life.
Some swallows were teaching their young to fl y from a branch overhanging a lake. One
Let my thoughts
by one they pushed each of the chicks off the end until, somewhere between the branch
and actions be
and the water, they discovered they could fl y. Their parents knew what they didn’t; until
in line with Your
you learn to fl y, you’re not really living! Guess what? Giving is an action designed into
desire for me, my
you by God; it’s the air into which you were born! But until you realise that, you’ll cling
family and the
desperately to everything you can. Listen: ‘… whoever sows generously will also reap
people around me.
generously’ (2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV). Everything begins with a seed. Your seed is anything
Help me develop
that can multiply: love, time or money. Your harvest is what comes back to you in
a relationship with
benefi ts like joy, relationships or fi nances.
You that I might be
If what you have today is not enough to be a harvest, use it as a seed and allow God to
more guided by the
multiply it back to you. Try out-giving God. Go ahead, you’ll love the results! Giving is like
Holy Spirit. Help
fl ying; only when you let go of what you’re clinging to and launch out do you realise, ‘This
me not to be a play
is how I was born to live!’
safe person with
matters of Your
Afraid Of Failing?
Kingdom, that Your
Grace and Mercy
‘...I WAS AFRAID AND WENT AND HID YOUR TALENT...’
would be released
MATTHEW 25:25. NIV
through me. Amen.
What would you attempt today, if you weren’t afraid of failing? In Matthew 25:14-30,
‘I came across
a wealthy businessman entrusted his entire estate to three key workers. He gave the
TheWord For
fi rst fi ve talents, the second two talents and the third one talent. Now when you realise
Today. It really
that in Bible times one talent was about 15 years’ salary, you begin to grasp what an
changed my
opportunity this was.
life’
It was a defi ning moment that gave each of them the opportunity to a) test their skills in
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the market b) develop personal initiative c) practise good judgment d) profi t from their
call 0845 60 40 401 investment. And two men did exactly that; but the third was afraid of failing. He decided
or visit
to play it safe, so he buried his talent. Note: he wasn’t judged for what he did; he was
ucb.co.uk/wft
judged for doing nothing. In fact, Jesus called him ‘wicked and lazy’!
(Matthew 25:26 Amp). Fear of failure will always make you want to bury your gift. Unless
you’ve the courage to start, you’re already fi nished!
When God commissioned people like Moses, Gideon, Deborah and Esther, they all had to
overcome their natural fears. So will you! Fear of poverty made Jacob deceive his father.
Fear of starvation made the Israelites want to run back to Egypt. Fear of their critics
made the disciples forsake Jesus in His darkest hour and it made Peter deny Him three
times! Refuse to let fear stop you! How you use the gifts God’s given you is a matter of
the utmost importance. The truth is that it’s the basis upon which you’ll be judged!
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