How Can My Blessings Thrive?
When we are Frugal (sparing) with our resources, we create opportunity for that blessing to thrive in other peoples lives. Consider what making the thriving means, if I have been given one blessing and I use it to bless 7 different things instead of just one i have made the most of that blessing and so have made it thrive. Frugal does not mean stingy…. Frugal means that we are wise about where and how we use our resources. Be Frugal…. Then what you have been blessed with will thrive.
What Makes This So Important?
There is a very interesting passage of scripture that addresses this topic. In this passage of Luke 14 Jesus has been invited to a meal by some of the leaders in the village He is in and Jesus takes note of some of the elements of this gathering. 1) they have only invited people who are prominent in their society(no one of low stature) 2) there is a large amount of expense on food and no of it is being shared with the hungry and 3) they are elevating some people in the get together and not doing so with others. After this time with those leaders Jesus takes time to teach about this concept in regards to what it means to "follow" Gods heart for other people.
It reads this.....
27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
When the blessings we have been given do not thrive.... they fall so short of what they could have done and it may actually hurt us in the long run.
How Can I Apply This?
Pursue God- The "tower" in this situation is a persons pursuit of being near to God (which the people at the party voiced being excited about 14:15).
Sacrifice- The "cost" is the need for God's people to be doing the work that God would be doing in other people's lives (feeding the poor and elevating the heartbroken). When you have "spent your resources" or "blessings" on yourself and neglect those in need we may find that we werent actually pursuing God at all.
*Note This IS NOT a works based salvation, it is simply the realization that if you love God..... then you love what he loves.... so in "loving God" you also "love other people". We do this not because we want God to love us, but because "He first loved us" so we express our love for Him by loving other people. So how do we do that?
Be Frugal then Generous
Be Frugal the Generous … with your Time
Be Frugal-trim some of the ways you use your time(ex. Average person spends 28 hours a week on TV) and notice the things you waste time on.
Be Generous- Think of specific ways you can be generous with the extra time you have(ex. help neighbor carry groceries )
Be Frugal then Generous…. With your Talents.
Be Frugal- Many of us have a hard time saying "NO" to a request. When we say no to people when we are genuinely unable to do it..... we create space for our “best yes”
Be Generous- You have a talent, and someone has a need within your category, now that have said no to someone who does not need your talent, you can give that talent to someone else.
Be Frugal then Generous …with your Treasures.
Be Frugal – Simply put, stop spending the majority of your money on yourself. Recognize that you don’t need another shirt or a different size of that same tool.
Be Generous- What you have not spent on yourself can now be used for others in the kingdom.
