The Freedom I Found in Giving

(image courtesy of chucklarsen.com)

Please, please, please understand from the very beginning of this: I AM NOT TRYING IN ANY WAY TO RAISE MONEY! I AM NOT SEEKING DONATIONS FOR ANYTHING!

However, I am going to proceed into a topic that is downright sensitive to many and clearly off-limits to many more: the giving of money.

To re-iterate, I share with you my experiences in the realm of giving only in hopes that others will find the joy I have when the power of the dollar loses its hold on you.

For a quick review, allow me to share some of the formative background of my approach to money and the acquisition of things. As a child, I watched my Dad work hard to supply his family with our basic needs and a few of our wants. He was happy to fulfill his role as provider, but was equally guarded about how any of his hard-earned would be spent outside of our home. The idea he installed was to take care of your own, and anything left over was to be saved for that rainy day that was sure to come. It was not disposable it anyway toward charity of any kind.

As I have chronicled before, my early adulthood was a travesty of waste and destruction brought about by my alcoholism. All childhood lessons regarding money were forgotten or ignored, and I accumulated a large sum of debt.

Coming out of that haze and into recovery, I was driven to pay back every dime I owed. I was blessed with employment that enabled me to make good money, meeting the needs of my own family while paying down the mountain of debt.

It was during this season of life that I was introduced to the idea of tithing. I found the idea of giving 10% to the church I was attending a novel idea, but one that had no practicality in my circumstances. Once I heard the part about giving some of my money, I apparently shut my ears to the rest of the explanation. By doing so I missed the entire point about giving back to God first because anything I had came from Him anyway. The Bible refers to this as giving to God the first fruits of our labor, I simply called it crazy. I mean, how could I give any percentage when we barely had enough coming in to cover expenses.

As I look back on those days now, I am ever so grateful that my wife Betsy did understand from the outset what this giving was truly about. She was able to slowly help me to see the selfishness and short-sightedness of my hold on to it at all costs approach to our finances.

God, as always, was gracious and patient with me as my heart softened. As I came to more fully realize that everything we had or earned was all because of His love for us, I came to understand why it was God calls us to give back to Him ‘off the top’ instead of grudgingly handing over leftovers.

It was now that He began to reveal to me the freedom that comes when giving to God unreservedly. Instead of viewing giving to the church as a burden that was going to further tighten our budget, I began to see how I was spending on not so necessary things. For example, the rationalization that our busy lives necessitated having take-out food 2-3 times a week was replaced with a spirit of cooperation that allowed us to plan and make family meals together. This not only saved lots of money, but it also fostered a much more unified front with regard to the family finances.

Throughout the ensuing years we have continued to tithe to the local church. Please understand that we hold to no formula of giving. Nor to do we believe that we are checking some cosmic box that will earn us favor with the Almighty. We do use 10% as a benchmark, but these days we often find we are blessed to give over and above that number. Again, not because we have to, but rather that we get to.

The freedom that I mentioned at the top has grown from this last point. Giving is an act of obedience, not obligation. With my heart positioned in this way, giving becomes a joy because I know that obedience to God in any matter brings joy to him. And my personal belief is that when we come to obey in these areas that were especially difficult to give up or move away from, His joy is even greater.

Please understand, we are not living some austere life as we follow God’s direction. To the contrary, we are blessed with so much more than we ever have had before. The thing is that the blessings these days are not measured in material wealth, but rather in the deep assurance of God’s sovereignty over our lives.

My advice to any who ask me about the topic of finances is this: Live within your means and always remember to thank God for all He gives you. My willingness to give back to Him sprung from the development of an attitude of gratitude toward all He provides me. I present no formula for success. But I do share with you the joy of the freedom that came (and stays) to my life when I placed the importance of God over the importance of money. The freedom I speak of has been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. The joy is in living this out in all aspects of life.

As always, any thoughts you want to share on this topic are welcome. I would enjoy some dialogue on this.

Thanks for reading. Be blessed and be a blessing,

Pastor Chuck

We are all invited!

(image courtesy of pinterest)

The Labor Day Holiday was established in 1884 in a time of unrest among the working class.  Exploitation was often cited by the fledgling labor unions as low wages and long hours in unsafe conditions were often the rule.  Workers were perceived as little more than replaceable parts in the greater machine; if you didn’t like conditions or the wages being offered, someone else would.  The Carpenters and Machinist Unions both claim to be the impetus behind this movement.

Many of these labor leaders were campaigning for an innovative idea, one that would curtail the overuse of the labor force.  What they were asking for was not only one day from work per year to celebrate those who worked by the hour, but also for the idea of a balanced day.  They were proposing that management establish an 8-hour work day which would then allow for this balance: 8 hours of work, 8 hours of recreation and 8 hours of rest.

That equation for the use of 24 hours sounds good, doesn’t it? However, as it is true today that you cannot legislate morality, coming up with a formula to live each 24 hours by is equally fruitless.

We might get one segment right, but overdo another which then disrupts the third.  My experience and the experience of many that I know is that the segment that gets most short-changed is rest.  Ask yourself, how’s this balance working for you?  Many work more than 8 hours a day and yet will still attempt to get full time in on recreation.  The result is less than ideal, for even though you get away from the workplace, fatigue still wins out.  You can look at any of these three segments of time, I guarantee for most of us the one that gets cheated the most is rest/sleep.

As He is always faithful to do, God provides us exactly what we need. In the context of resting from our labors, please consider what Jesus said as recorded in Matthew 11:28-30 in your search for balance:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for you souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (NIV)

Jesus calls us to life in Him.  We have eternal life assured through the salvation He has won for us. Paul’s letter to Ephesians clearly spells this out:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God –⁹ not by works, so that none can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

Salvation is God’s gift to all. We play no active part in it other than to receive it. God’s grace is extended to anyone that professes Jesus Christ as Savior.

However, there are plenty of God’s promises to us that do require us to do our part to realize them. With regard to the rest Jesus offers, He tells us that we are to “come to him, all who are weary and burdened.” Please do not miss that all-inclusive invitation to all of us who are weary and burdened!

Acknowledging that we play a part in experiencing this rest, what are we to do?

First, admit our need of this balanced life.  If we’ve honestly looked, we’ve seen that we need to have it.  Also, it’s ok to admit “I’m tired.”  No shame in that, as matter of fact many of us succumb to pride when we push on through fatigue thinking we can overcome any obstacle if we work long and hard enough. This is rarely possible for us and never long-lasting. Only Jesus has ‘overcome the world.’ He’s the only one who could.  Humbly go to Him seeking this rest.

And it’s not not just weary, but ‘burdened.’ What are you burdened by today? Finances, health, children, work, the state of the country/world, etc.? Plenty to be burdened about and they quickly become too heavy if we try to carry them on our own. 

However, there are two things we need to do to hold up our end of the promise to have rest. In verse 29 of Matthew 11, Jesus tells us first to: “Take my yoke.” This is an act of our will.  We take what Jesus offers, here referred to as a yoke (oxen teams; we’re made up of two animals with the smaller, less experienced one on the outside).  Jesus is on the inside carrying the heavier load, to symbolize that the Lord’s guidance will bring us peace and rest.

Secondly, we are to learn from Him.  “You’ve tried the rest, now try the best!”  Look over your track record with dealing with problems and difficulties on your own, or in your way or power.   If your past success rate is as low as mine in doing things this way, you can see that we have some things to learn from Jesus.  Hence, once yoked to Him, we are to learn from Him; the One with the strength and wisdom, the One on the inside.

In conclusion: Doing life; isn’t that what the original proponents of Labor Day were attempting to legislate? So much time for this, that and the other thing.  Jesus has been and is still offering this way of life all along!

His yoke is not easy because He expects less from us, rather it is light because He carries so much of the load!  In the same way, our burdens don’t lighten or go away simply because we follow Jesus, but again because He carries the majority of the weight, they become so much lighter and easier for us to carry.

Is there a balance that can be found in life like the people who established Labor Day 135 years ago were striving for? If you are looking for a neat and well-structured formula of 8-8-8, the answer is most likely no.

But if the balance you seek has Jesus in the heart of all you do, then the answer is a resounding yes!  Jesus has told us again today that He will give us rest.  His offer is true and reliable.  He will give it if we seek Him for it.  It all boils down to a question of faith: Is what God’s Word says applicable to us today?  If you believe that it is indeed ‘active and alive,’ the answer is again yes!

With the truth of God activated in your heart and mind, you can know and experience the wondrous truth that Jesus Himself provides the ‘rest for our souls’ that we need.

On this Labor Day, and every day, keep all that you do centered on the Lord Jesus.  As you do, you will find that the rest He gives doesn’t just come at the end of our physical activity, but in fact is present and available to us all the time.  As you let this truth take root in your heart, you will find that you will not need legislation to provide you balance between work, leisure and rest, Jesus Christ has and is your balance in abundance. 

Thanks for reading,

Pastor Chuck

Bye Bye!

(Image courtesy of funcheaporfree.com)

No, I’m not leaving the blogosphere.  Rather, I used that title for this entry in hopes of grabbing your attention about an issue many, many people don’t like to talk about, family finances.  Living this life as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ has brought us many blessings.  If I were to make a list of them (you know how I love to do that!), the financial freedom Betsy and I have experienced would be toward the very top.

Please understand that this has been a process, as there has been no supernatural deposits into our checking account of the years.  As God has grown our faith, we have, together, come to a much clearer understanding of how to use our finances for His glory.

With regard to the process I mentioned, we undertook the task of paying down our debt some 5 years ago.  The inspiration for this entry came yesterday, as we mailed in the payment that eliminated all of our credit card debt.

Re-arranging our financial priorities has not always been easy.  Many simple home-cooked meals have replaced the dining out we both so enjoy.  The vehicles we drive are functional, not flashy.  We’ve also discovered that a few relaxing hours fishing on the local river satisfies for us the wanting to get away on some expensive vacation.

To be clear, I find nothing wrong with nice cars or enjoyable getaways.  My point is that as we discover more of the depth of joy in living simply to honor God in all things, the contentment He then gives us moves these other things way down the priority list.

As I said, this process has not always been easy, but the approach to it is quite simple.  Household finances, like any other area in family life, are best served when there is frequent and honest discussions about them.  When we keep each other aware of our thoughts/concerns/questions about the budget, potential bumps on the road are avoided or drastically reduced because we have been open with each other regarding money.

I have found through my discussions and counsel with couples that the single greatest hurdle to financial contentment in the home is the idea of having ‘my money’ v. ‘her money’ or ‘my’ v. his.’ This set-up, by its very nature, is a fertile breeding ground for anxiety and resentment.  The goal of the common good is often swept away as one partner feels overly burdened by bills, resenting the lack of help toward paying them from the partner.

From the outset of our life as followers of the Lord Jesus, Betsy and I have maintained that the income brought in is to be pooled, not kept separate.  Through the years, we have been blessed by this simple system.  By taking on the challenge of our finances as a couple, we have been able to teach each other lessons along the way that have helped us grow closer as a team as God continues to draw us closer to Him.

Above and beyond paying the bills, our primary financial purpose is to bring glory and honor to God by handling our money as the gift it truly is; from Him! One example of this is the paying off of the credit card bill which frees up money that was being spent to pay the high interest rate attached to it.  This ‘new-found’ cash will now be used to support local charities, for example.

Another important aspect of our family budget has been the faithful maintaining of the tithe to the local church.  There is not a legalistic bone in either of our bodies, so we don’t give to the church out of some type of obligation (see 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 for more on this!). Rather, we choose to give back in this way as one way to bring the before mentioned honor to God.  Because we do follow the biblical concept of bringing the first fruits to God as an offering, we write the tithe check before any other bills get paid.

Let me share one last thought, especially with those who may be interested in this, but can’t see any way it will work for you.  First of all, “Yes you can!” This is not an insurmountable mountain,  rather it is a steep, but climbable hill.  Here’s the encouragement: Betsy and I have made our greatest strides with regard to our finances in the last 3 years, when we, by choice, became a one income family.  I stepped away from my good paying 40 or more hour per week job as a painter so that I could do ministry the stuff full-time (with no paycheck!).  Betsy’s income as an executive in a not-for-profit organization here in Fulton provides us with what we need.

Please know that the decision to drop to one income was not made lightly or quickly.  We spent many hours in prayer and discussion about our financial picture, going over our expenses with a fine-toothed comb, looking for areas we could reduce.  God blessed this time of preparation as He got our hearts and minds more in-sync with His plans for us.  He is faithful to do the same for you!

If you have questions or want to discuss this further, feel free to email me at pastorchuck38@gmail.com  I will gladly, and confidentially, listen.

Blessings and thanks for reading,

Pastor Chuck

Of Empty Jars and a Fuller Faith

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The thoughts for this blog are taken from the message I have prepared for Sunday September 1^st, 2019.  They are based on a passage from the Old Testament found in the Book of 2 Kings 4:1-7.  It is the account of a widow who is about to lose her two sons because she cannot pay a debt she owes.  What unfolds in this passage is wonderful story of God’s provision.

When preaching this message, it is my intention to go verse by verse as I attempt to help folks see how God, ever faithful to keep His promises, can grow faith in the hardest of times.

For you, Dear Reader, I’ll be touching on highlights here (should you want to hear my soothing tones discussing this in fuller detail, please go to our website, www.lakesidechristianministries.org and click of the dropdown menu audio/video).

As always, it is good to get some background/context to the passage of scripture being considered.  Elisha, who had been the prophet Elijah’s assistant, has now assumed the leadership position after Elijah has been taken up to heaven.  He is the man of God the widow seeks for help.  As prophet, Elisha would have others working and ministering under his guidance.  One of these people had been the widow’s husband.

It’s also helpful to remember that the accepted custom of that time in ancient Israel was if you were unable to pay your debt, some or all family members would be forced to be servants of that creditor.  In essence, they could be sold into slavery to cover a debt.  If she lost her sons, there would be no one left to work the land.  Her very bad situation was going to spiral even further downward.  She would be destitute.  You get a better sense of her desperation by knowing these things, I think.  At this point, she would be seeing more of empty jars than anything that might grow her faith.

In her grief, pain and uncertainty of the future she seeks out the prophet. (Folks even then looking for a fix/cure on their own level instead of going first and directly to God.)  Elisha had already worked miracles in his ministry; no doubt the widow would have known, hence her seeking him out to do something about her situation. She spells out her issues to Elisha, who may or may not have already known about what she was up against.

After the widow spells out her problems to him, Elisha asks if she has anything at all to work with to pay the debt. “Nothing,” she replies, “except this little but of oil.”  To us this would be like having one dollar to our name when we owed one million.  Her situation looked hopeless, having more to do with empty jars than a flowing faith at this point.

The Prophet then gives her some strange instructions.  She is to go to all her neighbors, asking to borrow empty jars.  It is at this point we can she the widow starting to walk in faith.  This was a very humbling thing to do.  By going to all her neighbors, they would certainly know something was wrong.  No matter how they might talk about her, she was grasping at the chance to save her boys.

After collecting the jars, Elisha’s instructions don’t get any less crazy sounding.  The widow and her boys are to take them into their house and close the door.  Once they were alone, she was to start pouring the little oil she had into these empty jars.

Common sense would tell us this is futile, a heart hoping for God to do something wonderful would start pouring.  She did, and the Bible tells us the oil does not stop pouring until all the jars are full!

God has always been in the multiplying business.  Thinking about this takes me back to grade school grade school and learning the multiplication tables.  Each of these always showed that anything times zero was always zero.  That’s good for a mathematics table, but it doesn’t fit God’s character.  God continues to make something where there once was nothing!

This account was meant to grow the faith of those involved, not their pocketbooks! As you ponder it (and may I encourage you to read/re-read again 2 Kings 4:1-7), may I ask, “How can God enlarge your faith today?” You don’t need to be in the dire straits this widow was.  In fact, we should learn from her example and not wait as long as she did before seeking help. Don’t fall prey to the prideful feelings that you can a: work everything out yourself, or b: be to ashamed to admit something is messed up and you need help.

Take a spiritual inventory of what you have in the Lord and where your walk is currently with Him.  This will help you to see what you have in Him as opposed to how little you have on your own.  Let your faith grow as you ponder what God did for this obedient woman.  Difficulties might seem huge and having a kitchen full of empty jars seem of little use.  But our God will meet our deepest needs, if only we admit/ask Him to sustain us.  He’s done it; He’s doing it.  Do you have the faith He can do it for you?

Thanks for reading,

Pastor Chuck