40 Acts of Lent: day 31 - 'Gulp'

Act thirty one - Gulp  by Charles Osewalt

Giving when it's comfortable is definitely an important part of our lives. But God didn't call us to only give when it's comfortable. Does our giving ever make us gulp or cause a sharp intake of breath?

"But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, 

and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, 

without neglecting the others."

                                                                                                                  Luke 11:42 (ESV)
   
Back in the days when I was teaching full-time, I was faced one morning with the sight of a 14-year-old boy quietly sobbing, his head on his desk. I gently asked him what the trouble was and he told me that he was being forced to leave his foster home after nine years. 'Why?' I asked. 'Because the subsidy they received wouldn't be paid any more,' he answered. He was devastated. Then he looked at me and said the words: 'Who will want to adopt a 14-year-old?'

'We'll adopt you,' came out of my mouth before a moment's thought.
'But I don't even like you,' he said.
'Well, I'm not that keen on you either,' I said. But I knew there and then that I would go home and speak to my wife, Priscilla, who already had her hands full bringing up our three children – all under the age of six – and explain to her what we needed to do.
She looked at me, took a deep breath and then she said, 'Let's take him.' And we did.

Jesus points out that the Pharisees give: they tithe; they are generous. They give people 'every herb'. But they are generous only to a point. No deep breaths, no big gulps: they stop when the giving hurts. They do what's required but they neglect justice and the love of God.

When you come to one of those 'big gulp' moments, you don't always know what the cost is going to be but you know it's going to be big – it might hurt a little or a lot – but God's love is big enough to take it.

Choose how to complete this act...
GREEN OPTION:
Look back at the list you wrote on day one. Is there anything you're holding back on that you could give right now?

YELLOW OPTION:
If it needs a bit of planning, get to work now. If it's money, you might not be able to give a 'gulp' sum away in one hit, but what if you put aside some each month? Then, at the end of the year, you could reach a significant amount. Start saving, set a goal.

RED OPTION:
Review your regular giving (or start in the first place) and challenge yourself to sacrifice so you can push your financial giving further.